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Voting amidst tight security

          New Delhi: Voting in 140 constituencies across 13 states and three union territories, in the first phase of the 2004 general elections began early this morning. The polling was held in all the 26 constituencies in Gujarat and 24 of the 48 seats in Maharashtra, 21 of the 42 Lok Sabha constituencies and 147 Assembly constituencies in Andhra Pradesh, 15 of the 28 Lok Sabha constituencies and 120 Assembly seats in Karnataka, 11 Lok Sabha constituencies in Bihar, Orissa and Chhattisgarh and six each in Assam and Jharkhand. Two seats each in Jammu and Kashmir and Meghalaya, and one each in Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman Diu and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands also voted for.

          As 170 million voters seek to exercise their franchise, the Election Commission has made extensive security arrangements to ensure an incident free poll. In Jammu and Kashmir, 180 companies of paramilitary forces consisting of nearly 20,000 security personnel have been deployed. In Assam, 136 companies of paramilitary forces are on election duty. Fifty companies or about 6000 men are on security duty in Jharkhand, where the polls are taking place under a threat of Naxal violence. "Enough security arrangements have been made for the first phase. I appeal to voters not to waste their right and cast their vote," said Chief Election Commissioner T S Krishnamurthy on Monday. The Commission is keeping a special watch on the 'hyper- sensitive' polling areas. The EC has identified about 6,400 sensitive booths in Bihar and 5,800 such booths in Karnataka.

VIP candidates in fray (Go To Top)

          New Delhi: Tuesday's polling will decide the electoral fate of several prominent contestants: Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani - Gandhinagar in Gujarat, former prime minister H D Deve Gowda, JD(S) from Kanakapura in Karnataka, . former Chhattisgarh chief minister Ajit Jogi, Congress, from Mahasamund, former Gujarat CM Shankarsingh Vagehla from Kapadvanj, former Jharkhand CM Babulal Marandi, BJP, from Koderma, fFormer Lok Sabha speaker P A Sangma from Tura, former Lok Sabha speaker Shivraj Patil, Latur, former Union minister Ananth Kumar from Bangalore South, former Union minister C K Jaffer Sharief , Bangalore North, Karnataka Chief Minister S M Krishna from Chamarajpet in Bangalore South, Union minister Kashiram Rana from Surat

Militants attack poll booth in Baramulla, 3 hurt (Go To Top)

          Srinagar: Suspected militants attacked a polling booth and triggered a landmine blast, injuring three civilians and two security personnel in the Baramulla Lok Sabha constituency of Jammu and Kashmir this morning. A national news agency report said that one Central Reserve Police Force person was injured when militants fired at a polling booth in Pazalpora-Raziabad area. The news report quoted official sources as also saying that another policeman, and three civilians were injured when the militants triggered a landmine blast at Bandipora-Sumblar road in the constituency. Polling began on a dull note in Baramulla amid rains and general strike called by militants. Most polling stations, especially those along the Sopore-Baramulla highway wore a deserted look.

Violence mars polling in Bihar, Kashmir; Advani, Sinha vote (Go To Top)

          Patna/Gandhinagar/Ahmedabad/Srinagar: Violence marked the first phase of polls in the states of Bihar and Jammu and Kashmir, even as leaders like Deputy Prime Minister L.K.Advani and External Affairs Minister Yashwant exercised their franchise in their respective constituencies.

          While one person was injured by a bomb explosion soon after polling began at Gursahari in the Barh, the Lok Sabha constituency of Railway Minister Nitish Kumar, sporadic incidents of shootouts were reported near the polling booths at Khgaul, Birla Colony, New Bypass Road and Kankerbagh.

          In Jammu and Kashmir, militants targeted at least 11 polling stations, hurling grenades and opening fire on people coming in to vote. Two security personnel were reported killed, while several others were said to have been hurt during the exchange of gunfire in the Baramulla Lok Sabha constituency. One of the security personnel was killed at a polling booth in Pazalpora-Raziabad, while the second one was killed at a booth in Arampora-Sopore. Six others were injured in a grenade attack last night.

          In separate incidents this morning, militants triggered a landmine blast at Bandipora-Sumblar road, critically injuring a policeman and three people on poll duty. Grenades were also lobbed at polling booths in Pattan, Hyderbeg, Kathpora and Old Baramulla, but there was no casualty, a national news agency reported.

         In another incident, militants fired at a gathering of about 100 people in Mirgund in Pattan, which triggered panic among the crowd leading to stampede in which many were injured. However, no one was injured in the firing. Two BSF personnel were injured when militants fired at a booth in Kreeri. A similar attack was reported from Vangam area but there was no casualty.

         Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani cast his vote at Khanpur polling booth in the Gandhinagar Lok Sabha constituency, from where he is seeking re-election. His wife Kamla and daughter Pratibha, besides a large number of BJP supporters accompanied him. After casting his vote, Advani told reporters that even if the BJP secured a majority at the hustings, it would form a coalition government under the aegis of the National Democratic Alliance

          External Affairs Minister Yashwant Sinha cast his vote at Hupad village in Jharkhand's Hazaribagh constituency from where he is seeking re-election. His elder brother, wife and daughter accompanied him. Sinha is facing a stiff challenge from opposition-backed candidate Bhubaneswar Prasad Mehta of the CPI.

          Former Chief Minister Babulal Marandi, facing sitting Congress MP Tilakdhari Singh, also exercised his franchise at Khoro in Koderma.

          Polling for India's three-week-long parliamentary election opened on Tuesday at 7 a.m. At least 670 million people are eligible to vote in the world's largest exercise in democracy. Over 175 million people are eligible to vote on Tuesday in over 186,000 polling booths across the country. Elections are also being held simultaneously for the state Assemblies of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Orissa.

9 killed, 25 hurt in poll violence (Go To Top)

          New Delhi: At least nine people were reported killed and 25 hurt in election-related violence. Extremists struck at different places. In the Baramulla district of Jammu and Kashmir, two security personnel were among four people killed and 16 including eight poll officials injured in stepped up violence by militants.

          Andhra Pradesh recorded the highest polling as 35 per cent of the more than 2.74 crore voters exercised their franchise in 21 Lok Sabha and 147 Assembly constituencies. Voting varied between 12 per cent in Baramulla, 17 per cent in Jammu 20 per cent in Jharkhand, Assam, Karnataka, Maharshtra and Andaman and Nicobar Islands to 27 per cent in Chhattisgarh and 30 per cent in Manipur. In Orissa, an estimated 30 per cent of the 12.9 million voters had cast their ballots by noon. In all, 140 Lok Sabha and 344 Assembly seats across 13 states and three Union Territories are being contested for.

Omar Abdullah escapes assassination bid (Go To Top)

         Srinagar: National Conference (NC) President Omar Abdullah escaped an assassination attempt at Heyatpora Beerwah in Badgam District today. Official sources said militants detonated a powerful Improvised Explosive Device (IED) near the venue of Abdullah's's election rally at Heyatpora this afternoon. However, Abdullah wasn't hurt in the attack. Abdullah is seeking re-election from Srinagar and is pitted against ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate Ghulam Nabi Hanjoora.