Polling has begun for the 9th and final phase of Lok Sabha elections. In this phase, voting is taking place for 41 Lok Sabha constituencies spread over 3 states. These constituencies include 6 in Bihar, 18 in Uttar Pradesh and 17 in West Bengal.

In Uttar Pradesh, a total of 328 candidates, including 14 women, are in the fray. The electoral fate of several big wigs including BJP leader Narendra Modi, Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav, AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal, BJP leader Kalraj Mishra and Yogi Aditya Nath and Union Minister RPN Singh will be decided in today's polling. Elobarate security arrangement have been made to ensure peaceful and impartial polling. Interstate state and inter districts borders have been sealed and picket of security forces have been put at border areas. About 600 companies of Central Para Military forces and State Police have been deployed.

In Bihar, around 90.52 lakh voters are expected to exercise their franchise today to decide the fate of 90 candidates including five women. Prominent candidates who are in the fray include former Union Minister Raghuvansh Prasad Singh and Raghunath Jha, film maker Prakash Jha and Mohamaaed Sahabuddin’s wife Hena Sahab.

In West Bengal, important candidates who are contesting in this phase include former Union Minister Sudeep Bandyopadhyay. Prof. Sugata Basu and film star Dev of Trinamul Congress, Mr. Somen Mitra and Union Minister and Pradesh Congress President Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, Dr. Asim Dasgupta and Dr. Sujan Chakraborty of the CPI(M), State BJP President Mr. Rahul Sinha and former Union Minister Mr. Tapan Sikdar of the party. Our Kolkata correspondent reports that besides state police around 5 hundred companies of Central Para-military forces have been deployed to ensure peaceful voting. In Kolkata most of the polling booths have been identified as sensitive.
Meanwhile, West Bengal Petroleum Dealers Association has announced a special discount on car fuel to those who exercise their voting rights today.