New Delhi, May 6
More than 9 crore voters in 85 constituencies spread over 8 states will decide the political fortunes of nearly 1300 candidates tomorrow in the fourth and penultimate round of voting in the Lok Sabha elections.

With pollsters predicting a hung House, major political parties, like the Congress and the BJP, have already started reaching out to possible new allies, obviously keeping in mind an uncertain post-poll scenario.

The fifth and final phase of voting will be held on May 13 and counting of votes will take place on May 16. According to the Election Commission, all arrangements have been made to ensure a free and fair poll tomorrow.

The fates of several political veterans, including External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee (Jangipur), Science and Technology Minister Kapil Sibal (Chandni Chowk), RJD president Lalu Prasad (Pataliputra), Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav (Mainpuri) and Rashtriya Lok Dal president Ajit Singh (Baghpat), will be decided in tomorrow’s voting.

The states covered in the fourth phase are: Haryana (10 seats), Rajasthan (25), Punjab (4), West Bengal (17), Bihar (3), Uttar Pradesh (18), Delhi (7) and Jammu and Kashmir (1).

While polling in Bihar will conclude in this phase, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir still have a round to go. Polling will be concluded on a single day in Delhi, Rajasthan and Haryana.

The BSP has fielded candidates in 82 of the constituencies involved in tomorrow’s voting, followed by the Congress and BJP (70 each). The Left parties have also fielded candidates in nearly 30 constituencies.

Lucknow: The 18 seats going to polls on May 7 in the fourth phase in the state would decide the fate of national presidents of three parties -- Rajnath Singh (BJP), Mulayam Singh Yadav (SP) and Ajit Singh (Rashtriya Lok Dal).

For Rajnath Singh, it is a question of establishing his identity as a leader of the masses. For Mulayam Singh Yadav, it is a matter of retaining his political base in his pocket borough. For Ajit Singh, it is an opportunity to once again prove his base in Jatland. And for another leader of national stature, former BJP leader Kalyan Singh, testing political waters as an independent candidate, it is a matter of political survival.

A three-time Rajya Sabha member, BJP president Rajnath Singh is trying his luck to enter the Lok Sabha for the first time from Ghaziabad. His alliance partner Ajit Singh is seeking his sixth term to the Lok Sabha from Baghpat.

The Samajwadi Party president is facing the biggest challenge in this phase, as he has to not only retain the eight seats won in the 2004 elections but also keep his pocket borough intact. Etawah, Mainpuri and Kannauj, including his ancestral village of Sefai, are considered to be his home turf having above 20 per cent Yadav votes.