From Jammu and Kashmir to Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra to Manipur, the first phase of polling in the Lok Sabha elections saw a voter turnout of around 62% until 9 pm in 102 constituencies across 21 states and Union Territories. It is also the phase with the largest number of seats in the seven-phase 2024 polls.

👉 Express Opinion

Writing about the Iran-Israel war in today’s Opinion, Bernard Haykel asserts that without a resolution to Palestine’s statehood, there will be no peace in West Asia. “Spoilers against peace and stability, like Iran and the right-wing government in Israel, will take advantage of this chaos to achieve their maximal goals,” he says.

🎙️Express Interview

The Indian Express catches up with Uddhav Thackeray, the man who is most in the spotlight in Maharashtra. He is seen to have borne the brunt of the political disruption, with the bulk of his MLAs migrating to the Shiv Sena led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, which formed the government with the BJP; he has cast his lot with his “secular” opponent, and is now fighting his old “Hindutva” ally.

⚡Big Picture

A national record-holding steeplechaser from Bulandshahr, a hurdler from a Haryana village, a sprinter from Moradabad. Athletes by day and gig workers by night, they are among hundreds of budding players whose track and field dreams begin in the densely packed lanes of Kotla Mubarakpur. The Indian Express spends time in the Delhi neighbourhood, tracking their long, daily sprints

🍿Movie Review

The film Love Sex Aur Dhokha 2 helmed by Dibakar Banerjee is sharp and impactful, writes Shubhra Gupta in this week’s movie review. “It’s been a while since I’ve seen an Indian film as politically and socially trenchant as this one,” she says.

Until tomorrow,

Aradhana Kalia

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