New
Delhi: The two-member Election Commission (EC) team
that visited Bihar last weekend is likely to submit its
report today on alleged poll irregularities in the Chapra
parliamentary constituency of that state. Chapra is where
Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Laloo Prasad Yadav is facing
Union Minister Rajiv Pratap Rudy. Following complaints from
the BJP of large-scale rigging and violence in Chapra, an
EC fact-finding team comprising adviser KJ Rao and Principal
Secretary Ananth Kumar had visited Chapra. The team also
held separate meetings with the two leaders to gain an individual
insight and perspective of the situation in that constituency.
After their visit, there were preliminary indications that
the EC would be taking a punitive stance, including the
possibility of countermanding the elections in that constituency.
The Samajwadi Party and the BSP have also come out in support
of BJP in demanding a repoll in the entire constituency.
80
pc polling in Nagaland; boycott in Arunachal (Go
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Kohima/Itanagar:
For the people of Nagaland it was voting with a difference
this time. Thanks to the ongoing peace process in the state,
no clouds of insurgency shadowed the electioneering exercise.
Altogether five candidates were in the fray for the lone
seat. The prominent ones being the Congress party nominee
K Asungba Sangtam and the Nagaland Peoples Front (NPF) candidate
Wanyguh Konyak. In 1998, the size of the electorate was
9.3 lakhs which swelled to 9.6 lakhs in 1999 and 10.41 lakhas
this year. The percentage of voter turnout in 1998 was 45.5
percent, which rose to 76.3 percent in 1999 and touched
the 80 percent mark this year.
In
Arunachal Pradesh, the elections were held in the backdrop
of poll boycott call given by All Arunachal Pradesh Students
Union in protest against the alleged inclusion of the names
of 1497 Chakma-Hajong refugees in the state electoral rolls.
This is a straight fight between the ruling BJP and the
other two parties, Congress and Arunachal Congress (AC)
that have joined hands. The size of the electorate in the
state increased from 5.6 lakhs in 1998 to 6.8 lakhs in 2004.
About 59 percent out of this turned up at the polling booths
in 1998 which went up to 72 percent in 1999. This time too,
significant polling was recorded in the state. Nagaland
witnessed brisk polling, with 45 percent of the state's
more than one million electorate exercising their franchise
by midday. The phenomenal 75 to 80 percent polling that
took place was even higher than the average of the country,
and was a clear indication of the fact that the people want
peace.
Soap
stars rally for Smriti Irani (Go
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New
Delhi: The on-screen family of India's most successful
television soap ever campaigned for their colleague Smriti
Irani, a BJP candidate, on Saturday as the nation moves
into the final phase of parliamentary elections. Irani,
who became a household name with her portrayal of the ideal
daughter-in-law in the family saga, is hugely popular with
housewives. The actress, a mother of two, is making her
political debut against Congress stalwart and leading advocate
Kapil Sibal. Irani has campaigned aggressively in the walled
city, still known for its old world charm, and is seeking
votes on her image of a dutiful family woman. "It's really
nice of the entire star cast of the serial to have taken
out time and come here. They took out time from their busy
schedule to support me. I am also thankful to people who
come here in support of me. I am lucky to have so many supporters,
all of whom have come to bless me," Irani said.
Worried
National Democratic Alliance may not win a majority, Prime
Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee on Friday unleashed a campaign
and advertising blitz selling a message of prosperity and
stability and attacking the Congress party. Italy-born Congress
leader Sonia Gandhi addressed tens of thousands of supporters
at a beachside rally in Chennai, attacking the BJP for fanning
tensions between Hindus and Muslims. Monday's vote will
be the toughest by far for the BJP. The last round of the
three-week-long election is concentrated in Tamil Nadu and
West Bengal, where the BJP has little presence and is dependent
on regional partners. Another focus of interest is Uttar
Pradesh, where some constituencies vote on Monday. The latest
exit and opinion polls issued by Star News predicted that
Vajpayee and his coalition partners would win between 267
and 279 seats in parliament, with 273 needed for a simple
majority. But other polls have been less positive for Vajpayee,
and one, by NDTV, has suggested the NDA could come in with
between 245 and 265 seats. Counting of all votes will take
place on May 13, with results expected the same day.
Campaign
ends for final phase (Go
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Ludhiana:
Campaigning for the general election ended on Saturday,
as 182 constituencies across the country votes in the final
phase on Monday. All major leaders, including Prime Minister
Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Congress president Sonia Gandhi and
others wrapped up their campaign trail with rallies in the
states going to polls on May 10. Vajpayee ended his campaign
in Punjab and his final rally was in Ludhiana. In the last
elections, the BJP-Akali combine won three of the 13 seats,
while the Congress won 10. The BJP hopes the anti-incumbency
factor will help it reverse its fortune this time. Earlier
in the day, Vajpayee was in Mandi, where he hit back at
the Congress president. Vajpayee asked her to make her party's
position 'clear' on the multi-crore Telgi scam. "Today is
the last day of electioneering and I want a reply. Sonia
should give the reply through the press," he said addressing
a massive rally at Paddal ground in Mandi. "We have collected
all the facts and would place them before new Parliament,
if given a chance to reach there", he said.
EC orders repoll in 232 booths in Bihar
(Go
To Top)
New
Delhi: The Election Commission on Saturday ordered repoll
in 232 polling stations in 13 constituencies in Bihar where
polling was held on May 5. This includes 15 polling booths
in Madhepura where RJD chief Laloo Prasad Yadav is pitted
against Union Minister Sharad Yadav. The repolling will
be held on May 10. Earlier Laloo Prasad mets EC and seeking
to turn the tables on NDA leaders, complained that they
had "misled" the EC and wasted its time by lodging a "flimsy"
charge that polling had been rigged in Bihar.After a nearly
30-minute meeting with the three-member Commission, Yadav
told reporters that polling was peaceful in Bihar this time
"and the credit goes to the Election Commission, State Government
and Laloo Prasad Yadav". "Union Minister Rajiv Pratap Rudy
and other NDA ministers have raised a hue and cry and misled
the Commssion that there were irregularities in Chapra,"
he said, adding it was their "old habit to save their face
from the ignominy of defeat". Asked about his opinion on
the BJP demand for countermanding of polling in Chapra,
the RJD supremo, who is locked in a fierce contest with
Rudy there, said the NDA leaders had submitted false reports
to the Commission. "We have told the Commission that it
was free to hold repoll in those polling booths where it
felt there was rigging. We are not making any demand as
polling was peaceful," Yadav, who was accompanied by party
MP Prem Gupta, said.
