70 pc voting in Bengal's peaceful polling
by Ajitha Menon

      Kolkata: Ignoring the boycott call by Maoists in three districts of West Bengal, about seventy percent of 6.8 million electorates exercised their franchise in the first phase of assembly elections in the State on Monday. According to the Election Commission, the polling, which underwent amidst heavy security, was peaceful with about 70 percent turnout across 45 constituencies to decide the fate of 227 candidates in West Midnapore, Bankura and Purulia. Considering the boycott call by the Maoists, unprecedented security arrangements were made in all three Naxal-infested constituencies. The security was so intense that early in the morning when the turnout was low, the para military forces had almost outnumbered the electorate. Tens of thousands of troops were guarding polling centres in the sensitive Maoist-dominated Belpahari, Lalgarh, Kankrajhor, Banspahari and Goaltor in West Midnapore, Jhalda, Jaipur and Bandowan in Purulia and Ranibandh in Bankura. However, discounting the boycott call, voters, including many women, trickled into booths from early in the day, as security forces with automatic weapons, watched over them. "Considering the arrangements this time voting will be peaceful. We have no fear. Some people have arms but this time nothing is happening," said Robin Parmanik, a voter in Midnapore's Debra village.

     According to officials, 400 companies of paramilitary forces in addition to the regular police force were deployed. Two helicopters were making aerial surveillance and 3,000 digital cameras were in action to capture any voter without photo identity cards and abnormal incident inside booths. "Everything is under the control and supervision of the Election Commission of India. Everybody including security forces, presiding officer and returning officer, everybody is under the control of Election Commission who is responsible for this," Debasis Sen, the State's Chief Electoral Officer, said. The first phase, covering 45 constituencies in the state's West Midnapore, Purulia and Bankura districts, will decide the electoral fortunes of 227 candidates, including Health Minister Surjyakanta Mishra, Water Resources Minister Nanda Gopal Bhattacharya, Backward Classes Welfare Minister Upen Kisku and Ministers of State Bilasibala Sahis and Susanta Ghosh would be decided in Monday's election. .In the run up to the polls, senior Left party leaders have been vociferous about "reviewing" their support to the Congress coalition, accusing them of selling out to the United States by signing a Civil Nuclear Energy Cooperation Deal. The Left parties have also been critical of the Congress government's economic polices, especially its ongoing drive to privatise state firms. However, in West Bengal, reformist Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee has been riding a wave of economic liberalisation and has focused more on industry and investment, leaving the opposition searching for issues. Pre-poll surveys have so far projected a grim picture for the opposition Congress and a Hindu nationalist alliance with the Left predicted to wrest 220-230 seats in the 294-seat assembly.

Sonia files nomination from Rae Bareli (Go To Top)

      New Delhi: All-India Congress Committee (AICC) president Sonia Gandhi today filed her nomination papers from Rae Bareli constituency for the Lok Sabha by-polls. Sonia filed her nomination papers before the Rae Bareli district magistrate. She was accompanied by her son and Congress Member of Parliament Rahul Gandhi and daughter Priyanka Gandhi Vadera and her son-in-law Robert Vadra. Talking to media persons, Sonia said that she would win the elections with the support of the people. Replying to the query on why other parties have not disclosed the names of their candidates, she said that it was better to ask them on this issue not me. According to sources, she also performed a `havan` before filing her nominations for the May 8 by-polls. "Right from the time of Feroz Gandhi in 1952-57 to Sonia Gandhi in the last Lok Sabha elections, the Gandhi family and the other Congress candidates have performed `havan` before filing nomination papers," an old Congress leader Gaya Prasad Shukla said. Others who accompanied her were former Union Minister Satish Sharma, In-Charge of Uttar Pradesh Affairs in the party Ashok Gehlot and UPCC president Salman Khursheed. Analysts say that the by-polls will be a cakewalk for her as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) remains ambivalent and the Samajwadi Party (SP) and the Apna Dal have fielded unknown faces against her. The by-election to be held on May 8 comes after Sonia's resignation from the Lok Sabha seat in March following the 'office of profit' controversy for being the chairperson of the National Advisory Council. She had to step down from the post following the Opposition's accusation. Bahujan Samajwadi Party president and former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister, Mayawati, has announced that she would not field any candidate against Sonia and added that the latter's presence in Lok Sabha was necessary to check the BJP. Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) Chief Ajit Singh has also decided not to field any candidate. He did not speak on whether he would support the SP candidate against Sonia. The BJP is yet to announce the name of the candidate.

Karunanidhi files papers for Chepauk seat

      Chennai: Dravida Munnettra Kazhagam (DMK) president M Karunanidhi today filed his nomination papers for contesting the Tamil Nadu Assembly polls from the Chepauk constituency. Polls in the state are to be held on May 8. This is the third time that the former Tamil Nadu chief minister is contesting from Chepauk. In his previous two campaigns -- in 2001 and 1996, Karunanidhi won from the Muslim-dominated Chepauk constituency. A politician of nearly five decades standing, Karunanidhi entered the Tamil Nadu Assembly for the first time in 1957, when he won from the Kulithalai constituency. In 1962, he moved to the Thanjavur constituency. After shifting to Chennai, he won from Saidapet in 1967 and 1971, Anna Nagar in 1977 and 1980 and Chennai Harbour in 1989 and 1991. He did not contest the 1984 polls as he was already a Member of the Legislative Council (MLC) at the time. Padmarajan from Mettur in Tamil Nadu has already filed his nomination papers against Karunanidhi. He entered the poll arena in 1988 from Mettur constituency against Sri Rengan of CPM and got nearly 1,000 votes.

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