Credits: Jagran English
The polling in the last leg (in seventh phase) is slated for June 1 in 57 seats of 8 states/UTs.
In the final phase of elections, a total of 13 seats in both Uttar Pradesh and Punjab, nine seats in West Bengal, eight seats in Bihar, six seats in Odisha, four seats in Himachal Pradesh, three seats in Jharkhand, and one seat in the Union Territory of Chandigarh will be contested.
Ludhiana Lok Sabha seat in Punjab will see a key battle between BJP's Ravneet Bittu and Punjab Congress Chief Amrinder Singh 'Raja Warring'. Congress turncoat Bittu is the sitting MP from India's hosiery hub. He has won two elections consecutively from Ludhiana on Congress ticket. Bittu, grandson of former Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh, recently joined BJP after parting ways with Congress citing the 'development work' of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah.
Bittu was in the middle of a row after Congress leader Simarjeet Singh Bains, days back, leaked his purported telephonic conversation with the former. In the viral audio, the Ludhiana MP was seen criticising several politicians, including Punjab BJP chief Sunil Jakhar. He also said PM Modi was 'welcoming anyone wearing a turban' in the BJP.
He, however, rubbished the viral clip as doctored, adding that he will lodge a complaint with the Election Commission in this regard.
Bittu also faced ire of farmers during his poll campaign in rural areas of Ludhiana.
Congress' Punjab Chief and former minister Amrinder Singh 'Raja Warring' has been fielded against Bittu. Raja Warring is a sitting MLA from Giddarbaha seat. He was state Transport Minister during Captain Amarinder Singh's tenure. In 2019, he fought Lok Sabha election from Bathinda against SAD's Harsimrat Kaur Badal. He lost this election by a thin margin of 21,000 votes. Even though Raja has been regarded as an outsider, he is holding a fervid campaign against BJP in Ludhiana.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has filed Ashok Prashar Pappi from Ludhiana. He is currently a sitting MLA from Ludhiana Central Assembly Seat. Sukhbir Singh Badal-led Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) has pitted Ranjit Singh Dhillon from here. He is a former MLA from Ludhiana East
