Fate sealed in ballot boxes
NEW DELHI: Amid sporadic violence that left three persons dead, an estimated 50 per cent voters today exercised their franchise for 288-member Maharashtra assembly and bypolls to three Lok Sabha and 39 Vidhan Sabha seats spread across 16 states.
Two persons were killed in poll-related violence in Mainpuri Lok Sabha constituency and one in Atrauli assembly seat in Uttar Pradesh where bypolls were held along with 11 other assembly seats.
Barring an attack by insurgents on a police patrol in naxal- infested Godchiroli district in Vidarbha region, balloting was peaceful for Maharashtra assembly polls, the first major face-off between the ruling Congress-NCP and the opposition BJP-Shiv Sena after the UPA government assumed power at the Centre.
A policeman was injured in the naxal attack, police said adding an IAF chopper narrowly escaped a grenade attack at the same place last evening.
Voting began on a dull note but picked up as the day progressed with voters lining up before polling stations to participate in the democratic process.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Sushilkumar Shinde and his wife Ujja- wala, NCP chief Sharad Pawar, actor-turned-politician Sunil Dutt, BJP General Secretary Pramod Mahajan and business tycoon Anil Ambani and his wife Tina were among the early voters in Maharash- tra. In the Mainpuri Lok Sabha bypoll in Uttar Pradesh, two persons were shot dead following an altercation at around 0845 hrs, police said adding one of the attackers was later arrested.
Both the Congress-led Democratic Front and BJP-Shiv Sena al- liances exuded confidence over getting majority in the assembly elections in Maharashtra.
"The Congress-led DF alliance would come to power once again in the state," Chief Minister Sushilkumar Shinde said after exercis- ing his vote in Solapur.
After exercising his vote in Baramati, NCP chief and Union Agri- culture Minister Sharad Pawar too expressed confidence that the ruling alliance will retain the power in the state.
BJP General Secretary Pramod Mahajan said the saffron alliance would get a good response from the farmers and will form the government without taking the help of anyone else including the independents.
The situation is conducive for the saffron alliance to form a government in the state, senior Sena leader Raj Thackeray said.
The bypoll in Mainpuri arose after Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav quit the seat on donning the mantle of Chief Minis- tership.
In Atrauli assembly constituency in Aligarh, one person was killed after rival supporters clashed over some poll-related issue.
In all, an estimated 50 per cent voters cast ballots in bypolls to one Lok Sabha and 12 assembly seats in Uttar Pradesh amidst tight security.
In bypolls to four assembly constituencies in Jammu and Kashmir, low to brisk polling was reported.
In the prestigious Pahalgam seat, from where Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed is tyring to enter the state assembly, polling was dull with a mere 20 per cent exercising their franchise till afternoon.
Brisk polling was reported in Basholi and Akhnoor which recorded a turnout of over 50 per cent.
Bypolls to three assembly constituencies in Nagaland registered an 80 per cent turnout while over 70 per cent voters cast ballots in bye-election to Poinguinim assembly seat in Goa. Over 50 per cent of the electorate exercised their franchise in sensitive Madhepura Lok Sabha constituency in Bihar.
Senior JD (U) leader Sharad Yadav was among the early voters in the constituency where RJD's Rajesh Ranjan alian Pappu Yadav, now lodged in Beur jail in Patna, is locking horns with R P Yadav of JD (U) in a multi-cornered contest.
Despite a poll boycott call and a 24-hour general strike that crippled normal life in Manipur, balloting passed off peacefully in Konthoujam assembly constituency in Imphal West district.
The poll boycott call was given by Apunba Lup which is agitating for removal of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act from the state.
Counting of ballots for the Maharashtra assembly polls and all the bypolls will take place on October 16.
Agencies
- Forwarded by AlmeidaG, www.goa-world.com
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