A total of 1,717 candidates are in the fray in the fourth phase, the Election Commission said earlier. One notable aspect of this phase is the large number of wealthy candidates eyeing a Lok Sabha seat. Of the total candidates, 476 (around 28%) declared assets worth more than ₹1 crore.
Furthermore, this phase also includes some uncertain seats, where none of the political parties have won consistently in past elections.
Among the 96 seats voted in the fourth phase are 25 seats of Andhra Pradesh and 17 constituencies of Telangana. Voting will also be held for five seats in Bihar, 13 seats in Uttar Pradesh, 11 in Maharashtra, eight each in West Bengal and Madhya Pradesh, four each in Jharkhand and Odisha and one seat in Jammu -and-Kashmir.
Here is a look at some of the key seats in the fourth phase of the 2024 general elections:
- Hyderabad
A stronghold of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) for several decades, this seat has been occupied by Asaduddin Owaisi since 2004. While Owaisi is eyeing a fifth consecutive term by now, the AIMIM chief faces a formidable challenge. challenge from the incendiary BJP leader Madhavi Latha. Both targeted each other throughout the campaign, making every effort to woo voters.
- Krishnanagar
In West Bengal, one of the most closely watched contests is taking place in Krishnanagar, which is the TMC’s Mahua Moitra constituency.
The TMC firebrand, who was expelled from Parliament when she was an MP from here, was again fielded by the Mamata Banerjee-led party in the 2024 elections. This time, she is being challenged by BJP’s Amrita Roy , daughter-in-law of the royal family of Krishnanagar.
- Kannauj
Former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav returned to Kannauj seat again after his wife Dimple Yadav lost the SP bastion to BJP’s Subrat Pathak in the elections of 2019. This time, Pathak is looking forward to a second consecutive term against Akhilesh Yadav.
- Baharampur
Senior Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury is eyeing a sixth term from West Bengal’s Baharampur seat. Interestingly, Chowdhury is pitted against former cricketer Yusuf Pathan, who represents the TMC, which is part of the Congress-led INDIA bloc. The BJP has nominated Nirmal Kumar Saha for this seat.
- Kadapa
Andhra Pradesh’s Kadapa seat is the scene of an unprecedented election battle between two-time sitting MP YS Avinash Reddy of the ruling YSRCP and his cousin YS Sharmila Reddy, younger sister of Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy and president of the Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC). They face competition from Chadipiralla Bhupesh Reddy of the TDP here.
- Asansol
Asansol, which borders Jharkhand, has a significant Hindi-speaking population, which mainly includes migrant workers from Bihar and UP. The TMC has once again fielded Bollywood superstar Shatrughan Sinha in this seat, while the BJP has fielded veteran leader Surendrajeet Singh Ahluwalia, born and brought up in the city. Sinha won this seat in the 2022 by-elections after Babul Supriyo vacated the seat and switched from BJP to TMC.
- Khunti
Union Minister and former Jharkhand Chief Minister Arjun Munda has once again been fielded by the BJP from Khunti seat. He is pitted against Kali Charan Munda of the Congress. In the 2019 polls, Arjun Munda witnessed stiff competition from Kali Charan Munda as he won the seat by a tight margin of just over 1,000 votes.
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