New Delhi: Campaigning for the ninth and final phase of the 16th Lok Sabha polls ended on Saturday as 41 parliamentary constituencies prepare to go to polls on Monday.
The constituencies going to polls are six in Bihar, 18 in Uttar Pradesh and 17 in West Bengal.
The most high profile contest in this phase of the polls will see a battle between BJP’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi and Aam Aadmi Party convener Arvind Kejriwal, contesting from Varanasi constituency.
While the Congress has fielded five-time MLA Ajay Rai from the seat. Mr Modi also contested from Vadodara in his home state of Gujarat.
Counting of votes, expected to break all records in registering the percentage of polling, will take place on May 16.
The Election Commission is expecting the country to register a record turnout of voters, surpassing the previous record in 1984, as 66.27 per cent voting was reported in 502 Lok Sabha seats, where polling has been conducted in eight phases that began on April 7. A total of 606 candidates are in the fray for the ninth phase.
In 1984 the voting percentage was recorded at 64 per cent. NOTA option was used for the first time in a parliamentary poll in the country.
