The Great Indian Poll show

amp;149; Total voters across the country: 71.377 crore. The overall turnout was 59-60.

amp;149; Polling stations: 8,34,944

amp;149; The Lok Sabha Constituency with the largest number of voters 18,97,474. is Unnao in Uttar Pradesh.

amp;149; With only 44,424 voters,Lakshadweep Lok Sabha constituency has the smallest electorate of any constituency in the country.

Lok Sabha Constituency with lowest number of electors is Lakshadweep. The number of electors in this constituency is 44,424.

amp;149; Highest number of polling stations in a state 1,28,112 in Uttar Pradesh; the lowest number 581 Sikkim

amp;149; Polling personnel deployed: 46,90,575 across the country,including 2,046 observers and 1.4 lakh micro-observers.

amp;149; A total of 9,08,643 control units and 11,83,543 ballot units were utilised for the conduct of voting.

amp;149; 648 polling stations in all had repolls/adjourned polls.

amp;149; 74,729 videographers were deployed to record the entire poll process; 40,599 digital cameras were used in all.

amp;149; 119 special trains were used to transport paramilitary forces; the 55 helicopters also deployed performed around 600 sorties in all.

amp;149; Vulnerability mapping of the entire country was conducted and 86,782 villages/hamlets were identified as vulnerable; 3,73,861 persons were booked under various preventive sections.

amp;149; Airlift of Central Police Force CPF was done from Imphal and Agartala to ensure that CPF was made available well in time for the 3rd Phase poll in West Bengal. For this purpose,services of IAF and Air India were utilised.

amp;149; In order to make voting convenient for the electorate,6 mobile polling booths were despatched to the desert areas of Jaisalmer.

Counting heads

amp;149; In all,8,070 candidates contested these elections.

amp;149; The largest number of candidates from any one constituency 43 contested in the Chennai South seat; the fewest 3 tried their luck in Nagaland parliamentary constituency.

amp;149; In the 2004 elections,the winning percentage of women candidates was around 12.68,while for men it was 9.80. Out of 355 women in all,110 contested from the six national parties BJP,BSP,CPI,CPM,INC and NCP and 66 were given tickets from state parties. Others included 62 from registered parties unrecognized and 117 Independents.

Delmitation factor

amp;149; This is the first election after the delimitation exercise. The number of parliamentary constituencies reserved for SCs has now increased from 79 to 84. The number of constituencies reserved for STs has increased from 41 to 47. Out of 543 parliamentary constituencies,499 were newly delimited.

Lessons from the past?

It doesnt always take much to win,as was proven in Uttar Pradesh in the previous elections. With a four-cornered contest in the state this time,it seems likely that winning margins will be equally slim.

amp;149; In the general election of 2004,there were 15 constituencies out of total 543 where the winners got less than 30 per cent of the total valid votes polled in their respective constituencies. All of them belonged to Uttar Pradesh.

amp;149; The record of securing the lowest number of votes goes to the winning candidate in Mohanlalganj who won only 25.98 per cent of the total valid votes polled; faring only a little better was the winning candidate in Robertsganj who polled 26.15 per cent of total valid votes polled. Other low-percentage constituencies in Uttar Pradesh include Padrauna,where the winner got 26.18 per cent of the total votes polled; 26.38 per cent in Aligarh; 26.47 per cent in Farrukhabad; 26.93 per cent in Basti; 27.74 per cent in Mirzapur; 27.92 per cent in Ghosi; 28.54 per cent in Bansgaon; 28.58 per cent in Aonla; 28.79 per cent in Sitapur; 29.05 per cent in Chandauli; 29.13 per cent in Jhansi; 29.21 per cent in Salempur; 29.40 per cent in Hapur.