121 seats across 12 states vote in biggest round of Lok Sabha election

New Delhi: All of Karnataka and much of Rajasthan and Maharashtra are voting today in the biggest of nine phases in the general elections. Of the 121 constituencies across 12 states where polling is on, the Congress holds 36 seats and the BJP 40. (Elections: full coverage)

This phase is crucial for the BJP, seen as the front runner, in its bid for a majority of 272 plus seats in the Lok Sabha. It had won 18 of Karnataka's 28 seats in 2009. But there has been a state election since then that the Congress swept. The Congress has eight sitting MPs.

In Rajasthan, where 20 of 24 constituencies are voting today, the BJP hopes to bag a rich haul just months after it registered a mammoth win in state elections. It's hope of breasting the tape at 272 is also heavily predicated on restricting the ruling Congress-NCP in Maharashtra, where 19 of 48 constituencies vote today.

Polling is on also in 11 seats in Uttar Pradesh and Odisha, 10 in Madhya Pradesh, seven in Bihar, six in Jharkhand, four in West Bengal, three in Chhattisgarh, and one each in Jammu and Kashmir and Manipur.

Seeking election today are seasoned politicians like Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde, the BJP's Maneka Gandhi, former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda and Oil Minister Veerappa Moily. In Bihar, Lalu Prasad and Rabri Devi's daughter Misa debuts in Patliputra. Her parents, both former Chief Ministers, voted early on Thursday morning in Patliputra. (Read: top 10 heavyweights in phase 5)

There are some key contests in this fifth phase. Billionaire Nandan Nilekani makes his political debut as the Congress candidate in a very tough battle against the BJP's Anant Kumar, who has won the Bangalore South five times. Another debutant, star footballer Bhaichung Bhutia of the Trinamool Congress, takes on the BJP's SS Ahluwalia in Darjeeling. (10 big fights: featuring Nandan Nilekani, Lalu's daughter)

Among other candidates being watched with interest are Mr Nilekani's former Infosys colleague V Balakrishnan, who is contesting from Bangalore Central on an Aam Aadmi Party ticket and actor-turned BJP politician Shatrughan Sinha who has to battle popular Bhojpuri actor Kunal Singh of the Congress.

Jaswant Singh, 76, former BJP minister and now possibly the oldest rebel in the fray, is contesting in Barmer as an independent after his party rejected him in favour of fielding Col Sonaram Chowdhury, recently imported from the Congress.

A moderate voter turnout has been recorded in many states till 3 pm. While 51 per cent voters have cast their vote in Odisha, Bihar and Madhya Pradesh have recorded a voter turnout of 44 per cent.