23.4.09

India Votes: Phase II


Phase II of the general election kicks off today in 140 Lok Sabha seats across 12 states. Prominent candidates in this phase include Congress general secretary and Nehru family scion Rahul Gandhi, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Sushma Swaraj, Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) leader, and Union minister Ram Vilas Paswan and film-maker-turned-politician Prakash Jha who is with the LJP. At least 288 candidates with pending criminal cases against them are fighting it out in this phase. The fate of an equal number of candidates with assets of Rs1 crore and above will also be decided in this round of polls. Elections in 140 assembly constituencies in Andhra Pradesh and 77 in Orissa will be held simultaneously with the Lok Sabha polls. 1 constituency in Manipur went to the polls yesterday.

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