Law and order authorities have been forced to issue shoot at sight orders in parts of UP, Bihar and Andhra for suspected violence. According to sources, while PWG extremists might disrupt the polling process in the Telangana region of Andhra Pradesh, CPI(ML) activists may create trouble in Central Bihar. UP polling authorities have expressed apprehension of violence in Varanasi. Special bandobust has also been made in several parts of Andhra in view of elections in 97 assembly seats.

Among those who are in the fray in tomorrow's polling include finance minister Yashwant Sinha (Hazaribagh), HRD minister Murli Manohar Joshi (Allahabad), his deputy Uma Bharati and Congress leader Suresh Pachouri (Bhopal), minister of state for environment and forests Babulal Marandi(Dumka).

Also in the race are former defence minister and Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav (Kannauj), Phoolan Devi (Mirzapur), Congress spokesman Ajit Jogi (Shahdol), former union ministers P Upendra (Vijaywada), Jaipal Reddy (Miryalguda), G Venkatswamy (Peddapalli) and Saifuddin Soz (Baramulla).While UP accounts for 30 Lok sabha constituencies, Bihar 19, Andhra Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh 14 each, only one constituency in J&K-Baramula-goes to polls on Saturday.

An estimated 92 million voters are expected to exercise their franchise in tomorrow's polling, according to Election Commission figures.

All major parties are involved in a do or die battle in states like Uttar Pradesh and Bihar where both the Congress and the BJP have major stakes this time.

In UP, BJP is going to the polls amid forecast of a sagging fortune while the Congress appears to be rearing its head after total decimation of the party last year. BJP has reportedly pulled all stops, including deployment of RSS cadres,signalling a fight to the finish battle. Congress is expecting a windfall this time, courtesy Samajwadi Party's Mulayam Singh Yadav, whose Muslim supporters are believed to be drifting away in favour of Sonia Gandhi.

BSP is leaving nothing to chance to woo the Muslims but is keeping its fingers crossed apprehending a "tactical voting" syndrome which has mostly favoured the Congress party in the past in the largest state of the country.In Bihar, Laloo Yadav has employed all its arsenal in the fight in which the dice so far appeared heavily loaded against him. Already an atmosphere of terror and violence prevails in several parts of the state. By all accounts, such a situation could mean polarisation of anti-Laloo votes.