India's fourth phase voting underway

International Desk: Voting has opened in 72 seats across India in the fourth phase of the country's marathon elections.

Polling is being held in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Orissa, West Bengal, Jharkhand and Indian-administered Kashmir.

India's financial and entertainment capital Mumbai is also voting in this phase. A number of Bollywood stars have already cast their ballots.

Three more phases are due be held before results are announced on 23 May.
The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its allies won 56 out of these 72 seats in the 2014 elections.

The BJP's mission to form a government largely depends on how many seats it manages to retain in this phase.

Several federal ministers, including Giriraj Singh, Subhash Bhamre, SS Ahluwalia and Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, are seeking re-election in this phase.
Some of Mumbai's seats are witnessing high-profile contests.

In north-central Mumbai, the BJP's Poonam Mahajan, who is the daughter of late BJP leader Pramod Mahajan, is contesting against Priya Dutt, the daughter of late Congress leader Sunil Dutt.

Bollywood actress Urmila Matondkar is taking on the BJP's Gopal Shetty in Mumbai north constituency.

Controversial former student leader Kanhaiya Kumar is contesting against BJP's Giriraj Singh in Bihar's Begusarai constituency.

Source: BBC


risingbd/April 29, 2019/Mukul