Campaigning ends for first phase of Lok Sabha polls, Tamil Nadu key litmus test

The high-pitched campaign for phase one of Lok Sabha elections ended on Wednesday, as the 48-hour silent period kicks in under the Model Code of Conduct.

The Bharatiya Janata Party's manifesto, listed "Modi ki Guarantee", encompassing welfare schemes. The BJP doubled down on it pitch for 'one nation, one election' and a Uniform Civil Code across the country.

The Congress' 'Nyay Patra' laid out 25 guarantees under five pillars of justice, targeting women, youth, farmers, labourers and the backward classes.

Notably, several parties in the INDIA bloc, including the Trinamool Congress and the DMK, have vowed to repeal the controversial Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). They are also united in their promise not to impose a Uniform Civil Code.

The ruling party and the opposition traded barbs on the electoral bonds, central investigative agencies, the Ayodhya temple, Sanatana Dharma, and the nature of the country's democracy on the campaign trail.

Tamil Nadu (39), Uttarakhand (5), Meghalaya (2), Arunachal Pradesh (2), Mizoram (1), Nagaland (1), Sikkim (1) Puducherry (1), Andaman and Nicobar Islands (1) and Lakshadweep (1) will vote in a single phase on Friday.

Polling will also be held in 12 seats in Rajasthan, eight in Uttar Pradesh, six in Madhya Pradesh, five each in Maharashtra and Assam, four in Bihar, three in West Bengal, two in Manipur, and one seat each in Chhattisgarh, Tripura and Jammu and Kashmir.

Results will be declared after seven phases on June 4.