New Delhi, May 02: Campaigning for 83 parliamentary constituencies in seven states, including Lucknow from where Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee is contesting, ends tomorrow evening as the penultimate round of elections 2004 gets underway on May 5. At the stroke of 5 pm., mass rallies and canvassing would draw to a close in all the 25 constituencies of Rajasthan, 30 out of 80 seats in Uttar Pradesh, 12 out of 29 constituencies in Madhya Pradesh, the last 12 of the 40 seats in Bihar, one each in Jammu and Kashmir and Nagaland and two in Arunachal Pradesh.

As many as 921 candidates, including 64 women, are in the fray for the fourth phase which will seal the fate among others of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav, Union HRD Minister Murli Manohar Joshi, RJD supremo Laloo Prasad Yadav and J&K People's Democratic Party leader Mehbooba Mufti, who is pitted against CPI(M) leader Yusuf Tarigami in Anantnag.

Elections to the 14th Lok Sabha are being held in five phases, on April 20, April 22, April 26, May 5 and May 10.
While polling so far has covered 278 constituencies in 18 states and Union Territories, on may 10 elections will be held in 183 constituencies in 17 states and union territories as also to the 32-member Sikkim state assembly. Counting of votes will be taken up on May 13.


Bureau Report