Lok Sabha Election 2024 Phase 4: Voting taking place in 9 states and Jammu and Kashmir today.

The upcoming elections in Andhra Pradesh and Odisha will allow citizens of these states to choose their next government in simultaneous elections. This phase will witness the conclusion of polling in the southern states and will encompass 42 of the 96 seats, which equates to 44 percent, across Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Simultaneously, Jammu and Kashmir will conduct its first election since 2019 today, with polling scheduled for the Srinagar constituency—one of the two Lok Sabha seats in the Union Territory. Additionally, the polling for the Anantnag-Rajouri seat has been deferred to May 25 following objections from the BJP.

Notably, neither party has officially aligned with the ruling dispensation or the Opposition bloc, although they have extended “issue-based support” to the Central government several times in parliament. Today’s election takes place amidst queries from the Opposition regarding the Election Commission’s role, following the issuance of notices to the BJP and the Congress chiefs subsequent to controversial comments made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Rahul Gandhi. In related news, the Aam Aadmi Party received a positive development, with party chief and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal granted an interim bail from the Supreme Court. Notably, Mr. Kejriwal, who was arrested in the liquor policy case, is mandated to surrender on June 2, the day after the seven-phase election concludes.

A number of prominent leaders from both the BJP and the Opposition are participating in today’s contest, including Union ministers Giriraj Singh and Ajay Mishra. Notably, Ajay Mishra’s son is currently in custody in connection with the farmers’ deaths in Lakhimpur Kheri, a case where individuals were run over by his car. Furthermore, key Opposition leaders in the fray today include Trinamool Congress’s Mohua Moitra, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, Congress’s Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, Trinamool’s Shatrughan Sinha, and National Conference’s Omar Abdullah. The subsequent phase of the election is slated for May 20, with the final phase concluding on June 1.

The counting of votes will take place on June 4, after the completion of the last phase of the election.