Voting in India's Lok Sabha elections has concluded, with the seventh and final phase taking place today, Saturday. This phase will determine the fate of 57 constituencies across seven states and one union territory.


Prime Minister Narendra Modi is the main attraction of this last phase for two reasons. Firstly, he is the BJP candidate for the Varanasi constituency in Uttar Pradesh. In 2014, he contested from both Varanasi and Baroda in Gujarat, eventually relinquishing the Baroda seat in favor of Varanasi. If he wins this time, it will mark his third consecutive victory in Varanasi. Additionally, as Prime Minister, he is aiming for a third consecutive term in office.

The second reason stemmed from his choice to engage in meditation at the 'Vivekananda Rock' situated amidst the waters off Kanyakumari, marking the southernmost tip of India. His meditation commenced last Thursday night, with the condition to conclude it upon the commencement of the voting phase on Saturday.

Despite unanimous opposition protests claiming a breach of the election code of conduct, the Election Commission (EC) found no fault with Dhyan's decision. The opposition urged the Commission to impose a ban on media coverage and images of the meditating Prime Minister, but the EC declined. Consequently, Modi has remained the focal point of media coverage since Friday morning, overshadowing the final phase of the electoral campaign.


Though overshadowed, the significance of the last round of voting remains undiminished. Thirteen remaining constituencies, including Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh, will participate in the final phase, alongside 13 constituencies in Punjab, nine in West Bengal, eight in Bihar, six in Odisha, four in Himachal Pradesh, three in Jharkhand, and one in Chandigarh. Notable candidates in this phase include actress Kangana and Union Minister Anurag Thakur in Himachal Pradesh, Congress's Manish Tiwari in Chandigarh, and Abhishek Banerjee, nephew of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, in West Bengal.

Before the final round of polls, Modi concluded his last rally in Punjab. Following the public address last Thursday, he proceeded directly to Tamil Nadu. In the evening, he entered the Vivekananda memorial erected on the last stone block 500 meters from the shore, at the confluence of the Indian Ocean, Bay of Bengal, and Arabian Sea. This memorial also houses the 'Dhyamandapa,' where Swami Vivekananda meditated in 1892.

Swami Vivekananda, in his meditative state, contemplated deeply on India's past, present, and future at that very stone block. However, the focus of Narendra Modi's 48-hour meditation in the monument, built 132 years later, remains unknown. What is known is his past choices for meditation locations after the conclusion of the 2014 and 2019 election campaigns—Pratapgarh in Maharashtra and Kedarnath, respectively. This time, Kanyakumari was chosen, with the notable difference being Modi's self-proclamation of immortality and divine mission, contrasting with his previous mortal status.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge criticized the Prime Minister, stating that while worship is acceptable, it should not be intertwined with politics. The BJP, however, remains adamant in their approach, with Modi's election strategy seemingly geared towards religious polarization, as observed in previous elections.