New Delhi: Campaign guns fell silent as over 800 aspirants today (April 18, 2004) fanned out door-to-door in a last-ditch effort to woo the electorate as meetings and rallies came to a close in 140 constituencies in 14 States that go to polls on April 20 in the first phase of elections to the 14th Lok Sabha.

As many as 809 candidates are in fray for the April 20 elections that would decide the fate of Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani, eight Union Ministers, two former Lok Sabha Speakers and three former Chief Ministers among others.

Elections 2004-The Drama unfolds...
Political Parties in India

Notwithstanding the soaring temperatures, top National Democratic Alliance (NDA) leaders including Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee held rallies across the country as Congress president Sonia Gandhi toured Eastern Indian to queer the pitch in favour of their candidates.

At the stroke of 17:00 hours (IST), campaigning ended in all the 26 constituencies of Gujarat, 24 out of 48 in Maharashtra, 21 out of 42 in Andhra Pradesh, 15 out of 28 in Karnataka, 11 each in Bihar, Orissa and Chattisgarh, six each in Assam and Jharkhand, two each in Jammu and Kashmir and Meghalaya and one each in Manipur, Mizoram, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu and the Andaman and Nicobar islands.

The first phase of polls will also cover Assembly elections in 147 of the 294 constituencies in Andhra Pradesh, 120 out of 224 seats in Karnataka and 77 out of 147 seats in Orissa.

Elections for the 14th Lok Sabha are being held in five phases, on April 20, April 22, April 26, May 5 and May 10.

Counting will be taken up on May 13.