CPI (M)’s Subhashini Ali casts vote, urges people to choose their leader based on actual issues

Kanpur (Uttar Pradesh) [India], May 13 (ANI): Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader Subhashini Ali cast her vote on Monday for the fourth phase of Lok Sabha elections at Uttar Pradesh’s Kanpur. After casting her vote, the CPI (M) leader appealed to the people to exercise their right to franchise and cast their vote not based on emotions but on the real issues.

After casting her vote at Kanpur’s Kailas Nath Girls Inter College Civil Line, Subhashini Ali said, “Every vote counts and the wind of change shall go on.”

She added further, “I would urge people to think before voting, and not vote based on emotions but on actual issues.”

Apart from being a major industrial city in the state, which was once known as “Manchester of the East” because of its booming textile industry, Kanpur remains politically active and its citizens are considered bellwethers of India’s voting behaviour and assert that whoever wins Kanpur forms the government in New Delhi.

This assertion has remained true mostly since 1977, except for 1991 and 1999. Since 2004, it’s been completely true, as in 2004 and 2009, Congress candidate Sriprakash Jaiswal won the seat and the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) formed the government.

In 2014 and 2019, BJP candidates won the seats, and the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance came to power.BJP has fielded Ramesh Awasthi, while Congress has shown confidence in Alok Mishra. Both had filed their nomination papers on Saturday. It will be intriguing to see how the voters respond to these candidates in this highly anticipated electoral battle.

The Kanpur parliamentary constituency comprises five assembly seats: Govind Nagar, Sisamau, Arya Nagar, Kidwai Nagar, and Kanpur Cantt.

Voting for the fourth phase of the Lok Sabha elections in 96 Parliamentary Constituencies across nine states and one Union Territory began on Monday at 7:00 am.

Polling for all 175 seats of the State Legislative Assembly of Andhra Pradesh and 28 seats of the State Legislative Assembly of Odisha also started simultaneously with the Lok Sabha polls.

Of the 96 Lok Sabha seats, 25 are from Andhra Pradesh, 17 from Telangana, 13 from Uttar Pradesh, 11 from Maharashtra, eight each from Madhya Pradesh and West Bengal, five from Bihar, four each from Jharkhand and Odisha, and one from Jammu and Kashmir.

According to the poll body, a total of 4,264 nominations were filed for 96 parliamentary constituencies across.

The fourth phase is witnessing key contests in various constituencies. Leaders such as AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, West Bengal Congress chief Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, TMC leader Mahua Moitra, BJP leader Giriraj Singh, JDU’s Rajiv Ranjan Singh (Lalan Singh), TMC leaders Shatrughan Sinha and Yusuf Pathan.

BJP leaders Arjun Munda and Madhavi Latha, and Andhra Pradesh Congress Chief YS Sharmila are also looking for electoral success.

So far, till phase 3 of the Lok Sabha polls, polling has concluded smoothly and peacefully in 283 Lok Sabha seats.