95 constituencies go to polls, record moderate to high voter turnout
Voters wait in a long queue to cast their votes at a polling station in Madurai district, on Thursday. Pic/PTI
Moderate to high voter turnout marked polling in the second phase of Lok Sabha elections Thursday covering 95 constituencies in 11 states and Puducherry, with both the Union territory and Manipur clocking a percentage of 80. The Srinagar seat in Jammu and Kashmir recorded a percentage of only 14.8. Barring Maharashtra, the poll percentage in rest of the states was in excess of 60 while in Puducherry it was 80.47.
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Senior Deputy Election Commissioner Umesh Sinha said in Delhi that the overall turnout in the second phase was 66 per cent. Officials said the figures are likely to go up as there are many people in queues even after the scheduled timing for voting elapsed. Except for a few sporadic incidents of violence in West Bengal and Manipur and EVM glitches in some seats, polling was by and large peaceful. Tamil Nadu registered 70 per cent polling for the 38 Lok Sabha seats and 67.08 per cent in bypolls to 18 Assembly constituencies. In Madurai, polling took place till 8 pm in view of the local temple festival.
Paramilitary forces had to open fire near Arakkonam to disperse crowds. An estimated 61.84 per cent turnout was reported in the 14 Lok Sabha seats in Karnataka, which is witnessing a direct contest between the ruling Congress-JD(S) alliance and the BJP.
No untoward incident was reported during polling which was being held amid tight security due to militant threats and a boycott call by separatists in Kashmir.
Isolated incidents of violence, road blockades, bombings and police firing marred polling in the three Lok Sabha constituencies in West Bengal with 76 per cent of voter turnout recorded. Police fired in the air and burst tear gas shells to control a mob, who threw stones at them in Raiganj Lok Sabha constituency in West Bengal.
Bombs were also hurled by unknown miscreants in Chopra area, a senior EC official said. A reporter and a camera person of a local news channel were allegedly manhandled when they went to cover polling at Kataphulbari in Raiganj constituency.
AIADMK alleges violation of MCC
The ruling AIADMK in Tamil Nadu alleged violation of the model code of conduct by DMK leaders M K Stalin and Dayanidhi Maran, and urged the EC to act against them. AIADMK spokesperson R M Babu Murugavel filed separate complaints with the ECI against the DMK leaders.
Jawan injured in IED blast by Maoists
An ITBP jawan suffered minor injuries after Maoists triggered an IED blast on Thursday in Chhattisgarh's Rajnandgaon district where polling for Lok Sabha elections is underway, officials said. Indo-Tibetan Border Police constable Maan Singh suffered minor injuries from the splinters of the IED that exploded at the Koracha-Manpur axis of the district at about 11 am. The jawan is out of danger, the official said.
Rs 4 lakh seized from BJP candidate's car
A static surveillance squad on Thursday seized Rs 4 lakh in cash from the vehicle of a BJP candidate in Dhenkanal district, police said. The cash was seized after Ashok Nayak, who is contesting from Hindol Assembly seat, could not provide satisfactory answers about the source of the money, Dhenkanal SP Anupama James said.
War of words
Akhilesh Yadav,
Samajwadi Party president
'Our chief minister is a thokidar. He always asks the police to thoko (eliminate) criminals. We are here to take away the chowki of these chowkidars and thokidars'
Sadhvi Pragya Thakur,
BJP candidate from Bhopal
'The Congress has linked Hindus with terrorism, called them terrorists and harassed a woman. The names that I were given and the way I was tortured, how do I believe this won't be repeated?'
Rahul Gandhi,
Congress president
'As soon as our government is formed, the farmers will not be sent to jail for non-payment of loans'
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