The record five week long massive exercise to elect a new Lok Sabha, the Lower House of Parliament of the world's largest democracy ends this evening after a high voltage and one of the most bitter campaigns. The final round today of the nine phase polling which began on the 7th April, involves the remaining 41 of the total 543 Lok Sabha seats. The constituencies having polls today are 17 in West Bengal, 18 in Uttar Pradesh and six in Bihar.

Over 600 candidates are in the fray in the last phase of polling but all eyes are focussed on Varanasi constituency in Uttar Pradesh where BJP leader Narendra Modi is pitted against Aam Admi Party Convenor Arvind Kejriwal and Ajai Rai of the Congress, among other candidates in a multi cornered contest. Other leaders whose political fate will be decided today include Samajwadi Party Chief Mulayam Singh Yadav, Raghuvansh Prasad Singh of RJD, Jagdambika Pal, Congress and Dinesh Trivedi of the Trinamool Congress. The last eight phases of elections have witnesed a historic turn out with very little violence reported from anywhere in the country. Counting of votes will be taken up on Friday and the results will be out on the same day.