Lok Sabha polls, 9th phase: As it happened

Ajith Vijay Kumar and Hemant Abhishek 7:45 pm: The overall turnout in all the nine phases of polling this year stood at 66.38 per cent, informs EC. This figure is the highest in the history of Lok Sabha elections, surpassing the previous best of 64.01 per cent in 1984 in the wake of the assassination of the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. The turnout in 2009 was 58.19 per cent. 7:15 pm: Final poll percentages in Bihar: Vaishali 57.5%, Valmikinagar 57%, West Champaran 60%, East Champaran 56%, Gopalganj (SC) 54%, Siwan 56%. Also Read: Record voter turnout brings down curtain on Lok Sabha polling 6:28 pm: Record turnout of 55.34% in Varanasi: EC. 6:22 pm: 79.3% turnout in 17 constituencies of West Bengal. 6:20 pm: 58% turnout in six constituencies of Bihar. 6:15 pm: 55.29% votes polled in 18 constituencies of UP. 5:45 pm:Latest poll percentages in UP: Maharajganj 54.40%, Varanasi 51.80%, Azamgarh 52.3%, Kushinagar 52.80%, Gorakhpur 51.12%, Domariyaganj 50.60%, Maharajganj 54.40%, Deoria 50.40%, Bansgaon 48%, Lalganj 52.50%, Ghosi 50.86%, Salempur 48.54%, Ballia 50.74%, Jaunpur 50.40%, Machhlishahr 48.80%, Ghazipur 50%, Chandauli 55.2%, Mirzapur 51.52%, Robertsganj 52.40%. (All figures are based on voting till 5 pm).   5:30 pm: Latest poll percentages in UP: Varanasi 45.20%, Azamgarh 46%, Chandauli 46.80%, Kushinagar 45.80%, Gorakhpur 45.50%, Domariyaganj 30.20%, Deoria 44.60%, Maharajganj 44.60%, Bansgaon 41.8%, Lalganj 46%, Ghosi 45.86%, Salempur 42%, Ballia 43.5%, Jaunpur 36.80%, Machhlishahr 42.20%, Ghazipur 44.46%, Mirzapur 42.96%, Robertsganj 45.05% (All figures are based on voting till 3 pm). 

5:25 pm Varanasi has braved heat and humidity to breach the polling percentage of 42 per cent in 2009. An official said that 45.2 per cent polling was recorded till 3 pm.

5:15 pm Bihar voters didn`t lack enthusiasm though the temperature reached 43 degree in parts. Valmikinagar recorded 48 per cent voting, West Champaran and East Champaran 49 per cent each, Vaishali 52 per cent, Gopalganj (SC) 42.5 and Siwan 43 per cent, an Election Commission statement said.

4:35 pm Over 67% votes were polled and 13 people were injured in incidents of poll-related violence in West Bengal. "An estimated 67.34 per cent of the total 2,55,75,744 voters cast their votes till 3:00 PM," Election Commission sources said. Thirteen persons were injured in a clash between CPI(M) and Trinamool Congress supporters at Haroa in North 24 Parganas district under Minakha assembly segment of Basirhat Lok Sabha constituency.

4:15 pm Latest voting percentages: Bihar 47.34%, UP: 43.57%, West Bengal 67% (all figures are based on voting till 3 pm). 

3:55 pm Varanasi records 44.75% voting till 3 pm

2:55 pm Claiming that he has done no wrong, Congress candidate Ajay Rai said, “Wore same clothes which I had worn day before yesterday on which the symbol was attached,did not flash party symbol intentionally,”, adding, “If I get a notice from the Election Commission, will reply to it.”

2:30 pm The electorate in Bihar and West Bengal are voting out in strength in the final round of Lok Sabha polls. While 56% voting was recorded in Bengal till 1 pm, the figure was 38% in Bihar.

2:20 pm: Latest poll percentages in UP: Varanasi 35.5%, Dumariayganj 38.20%, Maharajganj 37.40%, Gorakhpur 37.10%, Kushi Nagar 35.20%, Deoria 38.40%, Bansgaon 36.60%, Lalganj 37.20%, Azamgarh 34.60%, Ghosi 38%, Salempur 35%, Ballia 35.20%, Jaunpur 36.80%, Machhlishahr 35.40%, Ghazipur 37.72%, Chandauli 35.60% (All figures are based on voting till 1 pm).

1:15 pm Tens of people protest in Pilikothi area of Varanasi after they finds their names missing from the voter list. Also Read: Voters protest in Varanasi over names missing from list

12:55 pm EC directs Returning Officer of Varanasi to file FIR under sections 126&130 of RP Act against Congress candidate Ajay Rai for displaying party symbol.

12:30 pm Latest voting percentages: Bihar 21.17%, UP: 23.67%, West Bengal 41% (all figures are based on voting till 11 am) 12:20 pm Acting swiftly, the Election Commission has directed Varanasi Returning Officer to file FIR/complaint against Congress candidate Ajay Rai for displaying party symbol at polling booth.

11 am Flashing of party symbol is violation of election rules. A report is being sent on the matter to the EC in Delhi, says EC observer Praveen Kumar on Ajay Rai sporting the Congress symbol inside a polling booth. Also Read: EC seeks CCTV footage after Ajay Rai sports party symbol while voting 10: 30 am At least 14 CPM workers were reportedly injured in clashes in Harora, West Bengal. Also Read: CPI(M)-TMC clash in West Bengal, 13 injured

10:15 am With over 20% voting recorded in Varanasi in the first two hours, the holy city appears set to break all records. Over all, 10.3% voters exercised their franchise in the first two hours in Uttar Pradesh, where polling is underway on 18 seats to decide the fate of 328 candidates.

10:10 am It`s a slow start in West Bengal. Only around 11% has been recorded till 9 am in the sis constituencies where polling is being held today.

10 am West Bengal is once again coming out in strength to vote in Lok Sabha polls. 21% voting has been recorded in the 17 constituencies were polling is being held in the last phase of the polls.

9:35 am Congress candidate Ajay Rai courted controversy after he went inside the polling booth to vote while sporting the party symbol on his kurta. The BJP has been quick to complain to the Election Commission.

The BJP has reasons to be upset as Modi was pulled up by the poll panel after he flashed the `Lotus` after voting in Ahmedabad.

9:15 am Aam Aadmi Party`s chief Arvind Kejriwal exuded confidence of a win from Varanasi. The former Delhi CM said that BJP`s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi is losing and Congress` candidate Ajay Rai is not even in the race. Also Read: Narendra Modi losing, Ajay Rai not even in contest: Arvind Kejriwal 8:45 am With the entire media focusing on the epic electoral battle in Varanasi, the ancient city lived up to the hype as long queues are being seen outside polling booths across the constituency. Some over enthusiastic voters lined up at the booths from 6 am to be among the first to vote.

The Narendra Modi vs Arvind Kejriwal vs Ajay Rai tussle to represent Varanasi in Parliament has enthused voters like never before. The enthusiasm is expected to ensure that the voting percentage will surpass the 41% voting recorded in 2009, when BJP`s Murli Manohar Josji scraped through to a win against Mukhtar Ansari. Also Read: Lok Sabha polls 2014: West Bengal records nearly 80% polling amid sporadic violence Also Read: Lok Sabha polls 2014: 57% voting recorded in six seats in Bihar

Also Read: Lok Sabha polls 2014: Turnout 54.21% in final leg of voting in Uttar Pradesh 8:05 am Trinamool Congress has once reiterated that the party will have deal with Narendra Modi. “You know our stance, we have got nothing to do with him (Modi),” Derek O` Brien said.

Several TMC heavyweights are in the fray in the 9th phase - Dinesh Trivedi from Barrackpore, Mamta Banerjee`s nephew Abhishek Banarjee from Diamond Harbour, Sudip Bandyopadhyay from Kolkata East and Sisir Kumar Adhikari from Kanthi.

7:55 am Aam Aadmi Party has also Twitter route to ask people to vote to “end corruption and crony capitalism.”

Today's polling will play a crucial role in the process of ending corruption and crony capitalism in our country..Please Go Vote !

— Aam Aadmi Party (@AamAadmiParty) May 12, 2014

?? ????? ????? ??????-???????, ???????? ?? ??????? ?? ??????? ?? ??? ?????????????? ?? ???????????— Manish Sisodia (@msisodia) May 12, 2014

7:40 am Yogi Adityanath, BJP candidate from Gorakhpur, among the first to cast his vote. `Modi wave` will sweep away everybody, he said. 7:25 am In an ealry morning tweet, Narendra Modi asks youth to go out and vote.

My special request to the youth - go out & vote and take your family and friends along to the polling booth!— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 12, 2014

7:20 am People of Varanasi will not choose a candidate who can`t even vote in Varanasi, says Congress candidate Ajay Rai Also Read: Lok Sabha polls 2014: Varanasi will reject Narendra Modi, I`m the son of the soil: Ajay Rai 7:03 am: All eyes are on Varanasi where BJP`s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi is being challenged by Arvind Kejriwal of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Ajay Rai of the Congress.

The ancient city has stood witness to a high-voltage campaign by all sides. While the BJP remains confident that others pose no challenge to the `Modi wave`, given the extensive door-to-door campaigning done by the AAP and the local edge to Rai, the contest has turned out to be among the biggest electoral battles of 2014.

7 am: Polling began in 41 constituencies spread across three states amid tight security.

UTTAR PRADESH (18/80)

Constituencies: Varanasi, Dumariyaganj, Maharajganj, Gorakhpur, Kushi Nagar, Deoria, Bansgaon, Lalganj, Azamgarh, Ghosi, Salempur, Ballia, Jaunpur, Machhlishahr, Ghazipur, Chandauli, Mirzapur, Robertsganj

Key Candidates: Narendra Modi (BJP)- Varanasi, Arvind Kejriwal (AAP)- Varanasi, Ajay Rai (INC)- Varanasi, Jagdambika Pal (BJP)- Dumariyaganj, Mulayam Singh Yadav (SP)- Azamgarh, Ramakant Yadav (BJP)- Azamgarh, Pankaj Choudhary (BJP)- Maharajganj, Yogi Adityanath (BJP)- Gorakhpur, RPN Singh (INC)- Kushi Nagar, Rajesh Pandey (BJP)- Kushi Nagar, Niyaj Ahmed (BSP)- Deoria, Kalraj Mishra (BJP)- Deoria, Kamlesh Paswan (BJP)- Bansgaon, Sadal Prasad (BSP)- Bansgaon, Dr Baliram (BSP)- Lalganj,, Shah Alam (BSP)- Azamgarh, Bhola Pandey (INC)- Salempur, Neeraj Shekhar (SP)- Ballia, Virendra Kumar (BSP)- Balia, K P Singh (BJP)- Jaunpur, Ravi Kisha Shukla (INC)- Jaunpur, Tufani Saroj (SP)- Machhlishahr, Kailash Nath Singh Yadav (BSP)- Ghazipur, Manoj Sinha (BJP)- Ghazipur, Anil Kumar Moriya (BSP)- Chandauli, Ramkishun (SP)- Chandauli, Surendra Patel (SP)- Mirzapur, Samundra (BSP)- Mirzapur, Pakaudi Lal (SP)- Robertsganj, Sharda Prasad (BSP)- Robertsganj BIHAR (6/40)

Constituencies: Valmiki Nagar, Paschim Champaran, Purvi Champaran, Vaishali, Gopalganj, Siwan

Key Candidates: Satish Chandra Dubey (BJP)- Valmiki Nagar, Baidyanath Prasad Mahto (JD(U))- Valmiki Nagar, Prakash Jha (JD(U))- Paschim Champaran, Dr Sanjay Jaiswal (BJP)- Paschim Champaran, Radha Mohan Singh (BJP)- Purvi Champaran, Binod Kumar Srivastava (RJD)- Purvi Champaran, Raghuvansh Prasad Singh (RJD)- Vaishali, Vijay Kumar Sahni (JD(U))- Vaishali, Anil Kumar (JDU)- Gopalganj, Janak Ram (BJP)- Gopalganj, Om Prakash Yadav (BJP)- Siwan

WEST BENGAL (17/42)

Constituencies: Baharampur, Krishnanagar, Ranaghat, Bangaon, Barrackpore, Dum Dum, Barasat, Basirhat, Jaynagar, Mathurapur, Diamond Harbour, Jadavpur, Kolkata Dakshin, Kolkata Uttar, Tamluk, Kanthi, Ghatal

Key Candidates: Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury (INC)- Baharampur, Tapas Pal (TMC)- Krishnanagar, Satyabrata Mookherjee (BJP)- Krishnanagar, Supravat Biswas (BJP)- Ranaghat, K D Biswas (BJP)- Bangaon, Dinesh Trivedi (TMC)- Barrackpore, Subhashini Ali (CPI(M))- Barrackpore, Saugata Roy (TMC)- Dum Dum, Tapan Sikdar (BJP)- Dum Dum, Dr Mortoza Hossain (AIFB)- Barasat, Dr Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar (TMC)- Barasat, Samik Bhattacharya (BJP)- Basirhat, Tarang Mondal (AIUDF)- Jaynagar, Dr Tarun Mondal (SUCI)- Jaynagar, Choudhury Mohan Jatua (TMC)- Mathurapur, Rinku Naskar (CPI(M))- Mathurapur, Abhijit Das (BJP)- Diamond Harbour, Abhishek Banarjee (TMC)- Diamond Harbour, Sujan Chakraborty (CPI(M))- Jadavpur, Sugata Bose (TMC)- Jadavpur, Tathagat Roy (BJP)- Kolkata Dakshin, Sudip Bandyopadhyay (TMC)- Kolkata Uttar, Sisir Kumar Adhikari (TMC)- Kanthi, Deepak Adhikari Dev (TMC)- Ghatal, Santosh Rana (CPI)- Ghatal