India witnessed the fifth phase of the Lok Sabha Election 2024 on May 20, where polling took place in in 49 constituencies in six states and two Union territories. The states of Bihar, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal and the union Territories of Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir were involved in the polling process in this phase of the Indian Lok sabha election 2024.
Key Contests in the fifth phase
Amethi and Raebareli: These constituencies, traditional strongholds of the Congress party in Uttar Pradesh, witnessed intense battles. Rahul Gandhi contested from Raebareli, a seat held by his mother Sonia Gandhi since 2004, and also from Wayanad in Kerala. In the 2019 elections, Rahul Gandhi lost Amethi to Union Minister Smriti Irani. This time in Lok Sabha Election 2024, the Congress fielded dedicated worker KL Sharma to take on Irani.
Bihar: Former Chief Minister Lalu Prasad’s daughter, Rohini Acharya, made her electoral debut in Saran. Meanwhile, Chirag Paswan of the LJP (Ram Vilas) sought to retain the legacy of his father, Ram Vilas Paswan, in Hajipur. Voters in Sitamarhi, Madhubani, Muzaffarpur, Saran, and Hajipur participated in this phase.
Maharashtra Showdown: Thirteen of Maharashtra’s 48 parliamentary seats saw polls today in India Lok Sabha Election 2024. High-profile candidates like Union Minister Piyush Goyal contested. The elections also served as a battleground for the Shiv Sena factions to assess their support among voters.
Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray alleged mismanagement by the Election Commission, claiming that the poll body was attempting to sabotage the elections and benefit the BJP by encouraging lower voter turnout. Notable seats included Dhule, Dindori, Nashik, and Palghar.
Ladakh Surprise: After recent Sonam Wangchuk led protests, elections in the Ladakh constituency have become interesting.
Odisha and Jharkhand: Simultaneous assembly and Lok Sabha polls continued in Odisha, featuring five Lok Sabha seats and 35 assembly constituencies. In Jharkhand, Chatra, Koderma, and Hazaribagh went to the polls in this phase.
West Bengal:The state witnessed a fierce battle between the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Incidents of violence were reported in some areas, including clashes between party workers. Despite this, voter turnout remained high.
Voter Turnout in 5th Phase of Lok Sabha Election 2024
The approximate voter turnout in the fifth phase was 59.64% till 11.16 P.M as per the voter turnout application of the Election Commission of India on May 20, 2024.
| STATE/UT | APPROX. VOTER TURNOUT |
| Maharashtra | 54.29% |
| Odisha | 66.70% |
| Uttar Pradesh | 57.79% |
| West Bengal | 73.69% |
| Bihar | 54.58% |
| Jammu and Kashmir | 56.29% |
| Jharkhand | 63.07% |
| Ladakh | 68.47% |
Challenges and Triumphs
Let’s delve deeper into the challenges and triumphs during the fifth phase of Lok Sabha Election in 2024:
- Urban Apathy:
- Challenge: Urban areas continued to display apathy towards voting in the fifth phase. Despite being centers of economic and social activity, cities often witness lower voter participation. This trend poses a significant challenge to democratic representation.Sustained efforts are necessary to raise awareness, educate citizens, and emphasize the importance of voting. Campaigns, workshops, and community dialogues can help bridge the gap between urban residents and the electoral process.
- Ladakh and Baramulla Triumph:
- Context: Ladakh, a region known for its breathtaking landscapes and unique cultural heritage, successfully conducted elections. This achievement underscores India’s commitment to democratic principles even in challenging terrains. Ladakh’s participation demonstrates that democracy transcends geographical boundaries and allows citizens to exercise their right to vote, regardless of the region’s complexities.
- The Baramulla Lok Sabha constituency in Jammu and Kashmir had a voter turnout of over 56.73%, its highest in nearly forty years. This year’s overall polling percentage of 56.73% is only second to the 58.84% turnout seen in 1984.
Voting has concluded in Lok Sabha Election 2024 for the major part of the country now. The sixth phase is scheduled to commence on May 25, followed by the seventh and final phase on June 1. The results of the elections will come out on June 4, this year.
Update-
In a decisive end to the electoral battle in Amethi, Kishori Lal of the Indian National Congress (INC) defeated Smriti Irani of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) by a margin of 167,196 votes. Kishori Lal polled 539,228 votes, while Smriti Irani managed to poll 372,032 votes in this seat of Uttar Pradesh. This victory marks a significant moment for the Congress party in a constituency that was once considered a stronghold of the Gandhi family. Rahul Gandhi expressed confidence in Kishori Lal’s victory, emphasizing his long-standing connection with the people of Amethi.
In the 2024 Lok Sabha election, Rahul Gandhi, the Congress leader, secured a massive victory in Raebareli, Uttar Pradesh. He defeated the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) candidate, Dinesh Pratap Singh, by an impressive margin of 390,030 votes. This resounding win marks a significant moment for the Congress party in a constituency that was once considered a stronghold of the Gandhi family.Rahul Gandhi’s lead of over 4 lakh votes surpasses the gap his mother, Sonia Gandhi, had with her rival in the 2019 elections.
Chirag Paswan, the leader of Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) and son of former Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan, won the Hajipur Lok Sabha constituency in Bihar during the 2024 general elections. He secured victory against his closest rival, Shiv Chandra Ram of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), by a substantial margin of 1,70,105 votes.This victory marks his third term as a Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha, after previously winning from the Jamui constituency in 2014 and 2019.The Hajipur seat holds special significance for Chirag Paswan, as his father, Ram Vilas Paswan, was elected from there eight times as a Lok Sabha member.
In the 2024 Lok Sabha election, the Ladakh constituency witnessed an interesting outcome. Independent candidate Mohmad Haneefa emerged victorious, securing 65,259 votes and defeating his closest rival, Tsering Namgyal of the Indian National Congress (INC), by a margin of 27,862 votes. This victory marks a significant political development in the region.
In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Baramulla witnessed a major turnaround as National Conference (NC) vice president Omar Abdullah was defeated by Independent candidate Sheikh Abdul Rashid. Rashid secured the seat with a significant lead of over 188,000 votes.This surprising result marks a significant shift in the political landscape of the region.
