NEW DELHI: As the nation heads into the final phase of voting, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi announced a transformative moment for India stating that the INDIA bloc government is going to be formed on June 4. ‘ “Dear fellow citizens, today is the voting day for the seventh and final phase, and the trends so far indicate that an INDIA government is going to be formed in the country,” Gandhi said in a tweet on X. He expressed pride in the electorate’s resilience, stating, “Despite the scorching heat, you all have come out to vote in defence of democracy and the constitution.” Rahul Gandhi urged citizens to cast their votes decisively. “Today, come out in large numbers and deliver the ‘final blow’ to this government, which has become a symbol of arrogance and oppression, with your vote,” Gandhi said. He emphasized the significance of this moment, predicting, “The sun on June 4th is going to bring a new dawn to the country.” Echoing similar sentiments, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi said that it has become clear that the government of the INDIA bloc is going to be formed. She also urged the voters to vote in large numbers. “Dear sisters and brothers, today is the final phase of the election, and it has become clear that the government of INDIA is going to be formed. Your maximum participation will make INDIA even stronger,” Priyanka Gandhi said. “Based on your experience, your wisdom, and your issues, vote in large numbers. Vote for your constitution, vote for your democracy, and form a government that works only for you,” she added. The seventh phase marks a grand finish to the world’s largest polling marathon that began on the 19th of last month and has already covered six phases and 486 Lok Sabha seats. Voting started in the last 57 parliamentary constituencies at 7 am today across seven states and the Union Territory of Chandigarh. According to the Election Commission of India, over 10.06 crore electors including approximately 5.24 crore male, 4.82 crore female and 3574 third gender electors are expected to exercise their franchise. The seven States in which polling is scheduled include Bihar, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Odisha, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal and the Union Territory of Chandigarh. Polling for the remaining 42 Assembly constituencies of the Odisha State Legislative Assembly will also take place simultaneously. A total of 904 candidates are in the fray for the final phase of polling. The prominent candidates in the fray in this phase include Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders Ravi Shankar Prasad, Nishikant Dubey, Ravneet Singh Bittu, Congress leaders Manish Tewari, Charanjit Singh Channi, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Harsimrat Kaur Badal, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Misa Bharti. Polling for the earlier six phases of Lok Sabha elections was held on April 19, April 26, May 7, May 13, May 20 and May 25. Assembly polls have also been held in Andhra Pradesh, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh. Odisha is seeing simultaneous polls to Lok Sabha and assembly in the last four phases.
