Editor's Pick | High-voltage campaign ends; last phase of voting on June 1

Curtains came down on Thursday on the high-octane campaign for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, which saw political parties try and weave narratives, often acrimonious, over issues ranging from caste and religion to reservation and citizenship. The seventh and the last phase of voting will be held on Saturday (June 1) for 57 seats in eight States and Union territories, including in Varanasi, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi is seeking re-election for a third term. Among these seats, the Bharatiya Janata Party had won 25 in 2019. The poll process had begun on April 19 and counting will be held on June 4. The two constants in the nearly two-month-long campaign were the searing heat and low voter turnout compared to 2019. Voting is already over in 486 seats in 28 States and Union territories. The turnout in the first six phases was 66.14%, 66.71%, 65.68%, 69.16%, 62.2% and 63.36% respectively. Mr. Modi, who led the show for his ruling BJP, held 206 rallies, events and roadshows during the campaign period. He held his last rally in Punjab’s Hoshiarpur, a reserved seat. The Prime Minister will now head to Kanniyakumari in Tamil Nadu where he will meditate on the Vivekananda Rock Memorial till June 1. However, Opposition parties have raised concerns and approached the Election Commission regarding the Prime Minister’s spiritual retreat as the meditation coincides with the silent period. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi addressed his last public programme in a village in Punjab’s Khatkar Kalan, the birthplace of Bhagat Singh. Mr. Modi’s campaign pitches were marked by controversial speeches such as the one in Banswara in which he had claimed that the Congress would snatch away ‘Mangalsutras’ worn by women and redistribute wealth among Muslims. The Election Commission, following a complaint by the Congress, sent a notice to BJP president J.P. Nadda asking him to explain the speech made by the party’s “star campaigner”. On Thursday, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said: “Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke about ‘mandir-masjid’ and other ‘divisive issues’ 421 times, referred to himself in the third person 758 times, referred to the Congress 232 times and mentioned the INDIA bloc 573 times but did not refer to the issue of unemployment and inflation even once in his election speeches of the past 15 days”. Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh penned a letter to the people of Punjab in which he alleged that Mr. Modi indulged in the “most vicious form of hate speeches that are purely divisive in nature”. After the sixth phase, the Election Commission of India released for the first time in this general elections the absolute number of votes cast in each constituency for the first five phases. The ECI came out with the data after the Supreme Court refused to direct it to disclose details of Form 17 C, which contains this data at the booth level and is handed out to all polling agents of candidates. An editorial in The Hindu pointed out that complaints brought to its attention by anyone should be addressed in a manner that behoves a robust democracy. “It is indeed the duty of the ECI to ensure that the electoral process is not vitiated, and the best way to achieve it is to ensure the maximum transparency that is administratively possible.” The Hindu’s Editorials Reign of fire: On Delhi and the high heat Demonising protests: On the Umar Khalid case The Hindu’s Daily Quiz Which Ministry set up the Indian Sign Language Research and Training Centre in 2015? Ministry of Communications Ministry of Social Justice Ministry of Education Ministry of Culture To know the answer and to play the full quiz, click here. [logo] Editor's Pick 31 May 2024 [The Hindu logo] [EP Logo] Editor's Pick 31 May 2024 In the Editor's Pick newsletter, The Hindu explains why a story was important enough to be carried on the front page of today's edition of our newspaper. [View in browser]( [More newsletters]( High-voltage campaign ends; last phase of voting on June 1 Curtains came down on Thursday on the high-octane campaign for the [2024 Lok Sabha elections]( which saw political parties try and weave narratives, often acrimonious, over issues ranging from caste and religion to reservation and citizenship. The [seventh and the last phase of voting]( will be held on Saturday (June 1) for 57 seats in eight States and Union territories, including in Varanasi, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi is seeking re-election for a third term. [Among these seats]( the Bharatiya Janata Party had won 25 in 2019. The poll process had begun on April 19 and counting will be held on June 4. The two constants in the nearly two-month-long campaign were the searing heat and low voter turnout compared to 2019. Voting is already over in 486 seats in 28 States and Union territories. The turnout in the first six phases was 66.14%, 66.71%, 65.68%, 69.16%, 62.2% and 63.36% respectively. Mr. Modi, who led the show for his ruling BJP, held [206 rallies, events and roadshows during the campaign period.]( He held his last rally in Punjab’s Hoshiarpur, a reserved seat. The Prime Minister will now head to Kanniyakumari in Tamil Nadu where he will meditate on the Vivekananda Rock Memorial till June 1. However, Opposition parties have raised concerns and approached the Election Commission regarding the Prime Minister’s spiritual retreat as the meditation coincides with the silent period. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi addressed his last public programme in a village in Punjab’s Khatkar Kalan, the birthplace of Bhagat Singh. Mr. Modi’s campaign pitches were marked by controversial speeches such as the one in Banswara in which he had claimed that the Congress would snatch away ‘Mangalsutras’ worn by women and redistribute wealth among Muslims. The Election Commission, following a complaint by the Congress, [sent a notice to BJP president J.P. Nadda]( asking him to explain the speech made by the party’s “star campaigner”. On Thursday, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said: “Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke about ‘mandir-masjid’ and other ‘divisive issues’ 421 times, referred to himself in the third person 758 times, referred to the Congress 232 times and mentioned the INDIA bloc 573 times but did not refer to the issue of unemployment and inflation even once in his election speeches of the past 15 days”. Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh penned a letter to the people of Punjab in which he alleged that Mr. Modi indulged in the “most vicious form of hate speeches that are purely divisive in nature”. After the sixth phase, the Election Commission of India released for the first time in this general elections the absolute number of votes cast in each constituency for the first five phases. The ECI came out with the data after the Supreme Court refused to direct it to disclose details of Form 17 C, which contains this data at the booth level and is handed out to all polling agents of candidates. An [editorial in The Hindu]( pointed out that complaints brought to its attention by anyone should be addressed in a manner that behoves a robust democracy. “It is indeed the duty of the ECI to ensure that the electoral process is not vitiated, and the best way to achieve it is to ensure the maximum transparency that is administratively possible.” The Hindu’s Editorials [Arrow][Reign of fire: On Delhi and the high heat]( [Arrow][Demonising protests: On the Umar Khalid case]( The Hindu’s Daily Quiz Which Ministry set up the Indian Sign Language Research and Training Centre in 2015? - Ministry of Communications - Ministry of Social Justice - Ministry of Education - Ministry of Culture To know the answer and to play the full quiz, [click here](. 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