President issues notification for fifth phase of elections

New Delhi, Apr 17 (ANI): President Pratibha Patil on Friday issued the notification for the fifth and last phase of Lok Sabha elections.

In this phase, polling will be held in two seats in Jammu and Kashmir, nine seats in Punjab, four seats in Himachal Pradesh, eleven in West Bengal, five in Uttarakhand, 39 in Tamilnadu, 14 in UP and one each in Puducherry and Chandigarh.

The last date for filing nomination is April 24 and scrutiny will take place on April 25.

The election will be held on May 13.

This phase will deicide the fate of several Union Ministers including P Chidambaram in Tamil Nadu.

Other prominent contestants figuring include Varun Gandhi (Pilibhit), his mother Maneka Gandhi (Aonla), cricketer Mohammed Azharuddin (Moradabad) and Jayaprada (Rampur) -- all in Uttar Pradesh.

The counting of votes will be held on May 16.

In the first phase on Thursday, 58 to 62 per cent of 143 million voters exercised their right to vote.

The polls were held for 124 Parliamentary seats, spread over 15 states and two Union Territories and 154 assembly segments in Andhra Pradesh and 70 in Orissa.

Releasing the tentative figures about the total voter turnout, the Election Commission stated Bihar witnessed 46 per cent voting, Jharkhand (50 per cent), Chhattisgarh (51 per cent), Jammu and Kashmir (48 per cent), Orissa (53 per cent), Mahrashtra (54 per cent), Kerala (60 per cent), Meghalaya (65 per cent) Andhra Pradesh (65 per cent), Uttar Pradesh (48 per cent), Assam and Arunachal Pradesh (62 per cent), and Lakshadweep (86 per cent). (ANI)