Lok Sabha Elections 2024: Madhavi Lata Vs Asaduddin Owaisi — Check Key Battles In Phase 4

The fourth phase of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections will take place on May 13. The first phase of the elections, held on April 19, saw a voter turnout of around 66.14%. The second phase of the elections was held on April 26 and witnessed a voter turnout of around 66.71%. The third phase, held on May 7, reported a voter turnout of around 61.1%.

During the fourth phase, a total of 96 seats across 10 states and Union territories will witness contests. Several states will host voting, including all 25 seats in Andhra Pradesh, 17 constituencies in Telangana, 11 seats in Maharashtra, 13 seats in Uttar Pradesh, eight in Madhya Pradesh, eight seats in West Bengal, and five seats each in Bihar and Jharkhand. Polling will also take place at four seats in Odisha and one seat from Jammu and Kashmir.

In the earlier three stages, there were contests between influential Union Ministers, ex-Chief Ministers, and Bollywood actors. However, in the fourth phase, prominent politicians are vying to win a stronghold and swing seats.

Prominent candidates in the fourth phase include Madhavi Latha, Asaduddin Owaisi, Akhilesh Yadav, Yusuf Pathan, Mohua Moitra, and Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, among others.

Here is a look at the heavyweight battles in this phase:

Sitting Member of Parliament and All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen Chief Asaduddin Owaisi will battle it out with classical dancer, entrepreneur and Bharatiya Janata Party candidate Madhavi Latha for the Hyderabad Lok Sabha seat.

This constituency, encompassing the old city with its predominant Muslim population, has long been a stronghold of the AIMIM.

Owaisi has held this seat for an impressive four terms since 2004, following in the footsteps of his father Sultan Salahuddin Owaisi.

Will it be a fifth term for Owaisi or will Latha turn victorious?

Trinamool Congress candidate Mahua Moitra will return to reclaim her seat in West Bengal's Krishnanagar, after four months of being expelled over the alleged 'cash for query' case. Moitra will stand against BJP's 'Rajmata' (Queen Mother) Amrita Roy, who officially joined the party on March 20 this year.

TMC had clinched victory in the 2009, 2014, and 2019 Lok Sabha elections. It remains to be seen if Moitra will secure her seat once again, or will Roy's entry into the fray be a game changer.

Uttar Pradesh's Kannauj will witness a battle between former Chief Minister and Samajwadi Party Chief Akhilesh Yadav, BJP's Subrat Pathak and Bahujan Samaj Party's Imran Bin Zafar.

Yadav has a storied history with the Kannauj Lok Sabha seat, having previously won it in 2000, 2004, and 2009.

Known for hitting sixes in his career, former Indian cricketer and Trinamool candidate Yusuf Pathan will make his poll debut from West Bengal's Baharampur—traditionally a bastion of the Congress. The batsman will be facing seasoned players—Congress MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury and BJP's candidate Nirmal Kumar Saha—in the battle for the seat.

In another prominent battle from West Bengal, Asansol will witness a fight between Trinamool candidate Shatrughan Sinha and BJP’s Surendrajeet Singh Ahluwalia.

Considered the powerhouse of India's mining and industrial sectors, the constituency has a significant Hindi-speaking population and has been a swing seat.

In 2019, BJP's Babul Supriyo won the seat. It remains to be seen if the saffron party will continue its winning streak or Trinamool's Shatrughan Sinha will say 'Khamosh'!

Begusarai, one of Bihar's pivotal Lok Sabha constituencies, currently boasts Union Minister Giriraj Singh as its representative. The saffron party has reaffirmed its faith in Singh, who emerged victorious against Communist Party of India's Kanhaiya Kumar in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

This time around, Singh faces competition from Awadhesh Kumar Rai (Yadav) of the CPI.

With new contenders in the ring, the electoral landscape of Odisha's Puri—a stronghold of the Biju Janata Dal since 1998—is set for a riveting showdown.

Former Mumbai Police Commissioner Arup Patnaik has replaced BJD's three-time sitting MP Pinaki Misra and is pitted against BJP's Sambit Patra and Congress' Jay Narayan Patnaik.