Lok Sabha elections: Political parties have gone all out to make big gains in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections 2024. From cutting the tickets of non-performers to fielding celebrities on key constituencies in the hopes of a big win, political parties are doing everything in the book.
While the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) fielded Ramayan actor Arun Govil from Meerut, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) fielded Bollywood veteran Shatrughan Sinha from Asansol. The BJP went the extra mile in adding star power to its candidates list as the party repeated the tickets of Bhojpuri superstar Ravi Kishan and Bollywood's Dream Girl Hema Malini from Gorakhpur and Mathura respectively.
The saffron party has also fielded Paralympian Devendra Jhajharia from Rajasthan's Churu. The TMC, which has traditionally banked on star power to win elections, fielded 1983 World Cup veteran Kirti Azad from Bardhaman-Durgapur and Yusuf Pathan from Bahrampore.
Rachana Banerjee, also known for Didi No., will represent the TMC from Hooghly. Two-time MP and Bengali superstar Dev has also been retained from Medinipur. Check out the list of celebrities entering the electoral fray in 2024:
Celebrities fielded by the BJP:
Celebrities fielded by the TMC:
Lok Sabha elections schedule
Voting for Lok Sabha elections 2024 will take place in seven phases. The polls will take place in 7 phases-- first phase on April 19, second on April 26, third on May 7, fourth on May 13, fifth on May 20, sixth on May 25 and seventh on June 1.
Voting will take place in a single phase across 22 states including Delhi and Haryana. Karnataka, Rajasthan, Manipur and Tripura will witness polling in two phases.
Polling will take place in three phases in Chhattisgarh and Assam and in four phases in Madhya Pradesh, Odisha and Jharkhand. Maharashtra and Jammu & Kashmir will witness polling in five phases while voting will take place in seven phases in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and West Bengal.