As many as 17.7 crore people are expected to cast their votes in the fourth phase of the Lok Sabha elections which is currently underway on Monday across 96 seats spread over nine states and a Union Territory.

In this phase, voters will decide the fates of 1,717 candidates across 1.92 lakh polling stations under the supervision of over 19 lakh election officials.

Voting is expected to continue until 6 pm.

The Election Commission of India (ECI) said polling time in certain assembly segments of the 17 parliamentary constituencies in Telangana have been increased to improve voters’ participation, media reports said.

There are 25 constituencies in Andhra Pradesh and 17 seats in Telangana that will complete polling in one go in this phase of the high-voltage election.

Voters are expected to exercise their franchise across 13 seats in Uttar Pradesh, 11 in Maharashtra, eight seats each in Madhya Pradesh and West Bengal, five in Bihar, four seats each in Jharkhand and Odisha, and one seat in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.

In this phase, the star candidates include Samajwadi Party chief and former Uttar Pradesh CM Akhilesh Yadav from Kannauj.

He is up against the BJP's Subrat Pathak.

In politically crucial Lakhimpur Kheri, the BJP has fielded the minister of state for home in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government, Ajay Mishra Teni, against SP’s Utkarsh Verma.

High-profile battle in West Bengal

West Bengal is witnessing Trinamool Congress’s (TMC) firebrand leader, Mahua Moitra, who was expelled from the lower House of Parliament over cash-for-query allegations, contesting against BJP's Amrita Roy from the Krishnagar Lok Sabha constituency.

Roy belongs to the royal family of the region.

The other high-profile poll battle is taking place in Baharampur where the leader of the Congress in Lok Sabha, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, is crossing swords with the Gujarat-born ex-Indian cricketer and 2007 T20 World Cup hero Yusuf Pathan.

Pathan has been fielded by the TMC.

The BJP has nominated Nirmal Kumar Saha, expecting a high-octane triangular fight in the seat.

The constituency to watch out for in Bihar is Begusarai, where incumbent BJP heavyweight and Union Minister Giriraj Singh is seeking re-election. He is fighting against CPI candidate Awadhesh Kumar Rai.

Among the other hot seats going to the polls on Monday are Hyderabad, where AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi is facing the challenge of BJP’s Maadhavi Latha.

The first three phases of the election, which were held on April 19, April 26, and May 7.

The polling for the coming three phases will be held on May 20, May 25 and June 1.

The counting takes place on June 4.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi appeals people to vote

Indian PM Narendra Modi, who is busy campaigning hard across the country for the past several days, urged people to vote in large numbers.

"In today’s 4th Phase of the Lok Sabha elections, 96 seats across 10 States and UTs are going to the polls. I am sure people in these constituencies will vote in large numbers and the young voters as well as women voters will power this surge in voting. Come, let’s all do our duty and strengthen our democracy!" he posted on X.

Modi is seeking a rare third straight term.