"Ensure your participation in nation building": MP minister Prahlad Patel appeals to voters

Narsinghpur (Madhya Pradesh) [India], April 26 (ANI): After casting his vote in the second phase of Lok Sabha polls, Madhya Pradesh cabinet minister Prahlad Singh Patel on Friday urged the people to vote for ensuring their participation in nation-building.
"I have successfully cast my vote. I appeal to everyone to cast their vote. I came early today. The way I exercised my franchise in a similar manner you (people) should ensure your participation in nation-building," Prahlad Singh Patel told reporters in Narsinghpur.
In the second phase of Lok Sabha polls in Madhya Pradesh, the polling began in Tikamgarh (SC), Damoh, Khajuraho, Satna, Rewa and Hoshangabad from 7 am onwards.
Till 9 am, Madhya Pradesh has recorded 13.82 per cent voting in the initial voter turnout trend, according to the data released by the Election Commission of India.
Lok Sabha elections in Madhya Pradesh are being conducted in four phases. The first phase of polling was held on April 19. The next two phases will be conducted on May 7 and May 13. The counting of votes will be held on June 4.
Madhya Pradesh has a total of 29 Lok Sabha constituencies, making it the sixth-largest state in terms of parliamentary representation. Out of these, 10 seats are reserved for SC and ST candidates, while the remaining 19 are unreserved.
The other states where polling is being held on Friday include Kerala, Karnataka, Assam, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, West Bengal, Tripura, and Manipur. Jammu is also polling today.
As many as 1202 candidates, including 1098 males and 102 females are in the fray. There are 8.08 crore male and 7.8 crore female voters among the electorates who will decide the fate of candidates. As many as 5,929 third-gender electors will also exercise their franchise in the second phase of polls.
The first phase of voting for the seven-phased Lok Sabha election, the world's largest electoral exercise, was held on April 19 in 102 constituencies across 21 states and UTs. According to the Election Commission, the voter turnout registered was over 62 per cent. The third phase election will be held on May 7. (ANI)