Moderate polling in fifth phase LS elections

Polling in the fifth and final phase of elections to Lok Sabha began on a moderate note today during which the fate of prominent leaders such as P Chidambaram, Mamata Banerjee, Dayanidhi Maran and Varun Gandhi will be decided.  

Voting began this morning in 86 constituencies spread across seven states and two union territories in the final phase of elections and would end at 1700 hrs.  

A total of 1,432 candidates are fighting for 86 seats in this phase.  

Over 10.78 crore voters are eligible to exercise their franchise across 1.21 lakh booths, where ballots would be cast electronically.  

While Home Minister P Chidambaram is seeking re-election from Sivaganga in Tamil Nadu, Dayanidhi Maran is contesting from the Central Madras constituency, represented his father late Murasoli Maran.  

Varun Gandhi is contesting from Pilibhit in Uttar Pradesh.  

Prominent candidates in the fray in the fifth phase include Congress' Md Azharuddin, BJP's Maneka and Varun Gandhi and Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, DMK's T R Baalu, A Raja and M K Azhagiri, MDMK's Vaiko and SP's Jayaprada.  

Tight security arrangements have been put in place to thwart any untoward incident. 

Besides all 39 seats in Tamil Nadu, elections would be held to four seats in Himachal Pradesh, two in Jammu and Kashmir, nine in Punjab, 14 in Uttar Pradesh, 11 in West Bengal, five in Uttarakhand and the lone one seat each in both Chandigarh and Puducherry.  

Polling has been completed to 457 Lok Sabha seats since the exercise began on April 16. Results will be out on May 16.      

A party or a coalition needs 272 seats in the Lok Sabha to stake claim to form a government.  

The Lok Sabha has 545 members, but elections are held to 543 seats as two members are nominated from the Anglo-Indian community.