Campaigning for the second phase of voting in the 18th Lok Sabha election ended on Wednesday, with the BJP and the opposition INDIA bloc leaving no stone unturned to woo voters in 89 constituencies spread over 13 states and Union territories.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi held rallies in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, while Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge was his party’s star campaigner in his home state of Karnataka.

Of the 89 Lok Sabha seats involved in the second phase of voting to be held on April 26, 20 are in Kerala, 14 in Karnataka, 13 in Rajasthan, eight each in Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra, seven in Madhya Pradesh, five each in Bihar and Assam, three each in Chhattisgarh and West Bengal, and one each in Tripura, Jammu and Kashmir and Manipur.

It may be mentioned that polling in 15 Assembly segments in the Outer Manipur parliamentary seat was held in the first phase on April 19, and 13 Assembly seats will witness voting in the second phase.

Altogether 1,210 candidates are in the fray in the second phase of voting, according to the Election Commission. Prominent among the candidates are Union minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Shashi Tharoor.

Chandrasekhar is the BJP’s nominee from Thiruvananthapuram seat, while Tharoor is Congress’ candidate from the same seat. Rahul is contesting from Wayanad, which he currently represents in the House.

The campaign in the second phase was marked by a war of words between the BJP and the Congress over Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s remarks on the grand old party at a rally in Rajasthan’s Banswara on Sunday. The Congress called it objectionable and filed a complaint with the poll panel.

The Prime Minister, while addressing the rally, had alleged that “the Congress manifesto says they will calculate the gold with mothers and sisters, get information about it, and then distribute that property. They will distribute it to whom – Manmohan Singh’s government had said Muslims have the first right on the country’s assets.”

Congress overseas chairman Sam Pitroda’s reported remarks on “inheritance tax in US” also stoked controversy with the Prime Minister tearing into the Congress. The Congress, however, categorically stated that Pitroda’s views do not reflect the position of the party.

The first phase of voting took place on April 19 with an estimated 62.37 per cent turnout in 102 constituencies spread over 21 states and Union territories.

The third phase of voting is scheduled to take place on May 7, fourth phase on May 13, fifth phase on May 20, sixth phase on May 25 and seventh phase on June 1. The results will be declared on June 4.