NEW DELHI/KOLKATA/PATNA/ LUCKNOW: Marred by skirmishes in West Bengal, moderate to brisk polling-66 per cent in WB and 47 per cent in Bihar- was reported from 41 Lok Sabha constituencies across three states in the last and final phase.
Today’s polling brought down curtains on the election 2014 for the formation of 16th Lok sabha. Verdict is slated for May 16.
Till 1600 hrs, a 50.85 pc turnout was reported from Bihar while in Bengal it was 67.34 per cent and 44.5 in UP.
About two dozen voters were injured, two of them suffering gunshot wounds, when they were attacked on way to polling booths in Harora under south 24 Parganas district in West Bengal. Seventeen seats went to the polls today in the State.
In Uttar Pradesh, the polling percentage was more than 45 per cent, but reports are yet to be compiled.
The constituencies where polling was held under tight security vigil in WB were Behrampur, Krishnanagar, Ranaghat, Bangaon, Barrackpore, Dum Dum, Barasat, Basirhat, Joynagar, Mathurapur, Diamond Harbour, Jadavpur, Kolkata Dakshin, Kolkata Uttar, Tamluk, Kanthi and Ghatal.
All eyes were riveted towards Varanasi where BJP Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi is locked in a fierce battle with AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal, Congress’ Ajay Rai and others.
Ajay Rai embroiled himself in controversy as party’s symbol was pinned to his kurta when he had come to cast vote. Investigations are in progress.A FIR has been lodged in a local police station against him.
Security was tightened in Azamgarh where SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav was contesting apart from his traditional Mainpuri seat.
More than 60 million voters were eligible to decide the fate of 606 candidates in all the three states.
“On an average 66.38 per cent votes have been cast till 1300 hrs a very good percentage. Large numbers of people have turned up in most of the polling stations,” WB Chief Electoral Officer Sunil Gupta said.
However, both the Lok Sabha constituencies in the city–Kolkata south and Kolkata north–reported 49 and 48 per cent polling respectively, much less than the average.
Reports of violence were pouring in from various parts of the state with the biggest incident having taken place at Haroa in South 24 Parganas district, where 21 voters, including two women, were injured in an attack by armed miscreants.
Complaints of booth capturing, attack on opposition party supporters trickled in from Duttapukur, Dum Dum, Khardaha, Sodepur, Tiljala, Bhangar, Sashan, Canning, Barrackpore, Ghatal, Kolkata’s Burrabazar area and few other places as the opposition Left Front and Congress alleged police inaction and inadequate security measures by the Election Commission.
A report from South 24 Parganas said 21 people, including two women, were seriously injured when miscreants attacked them on their way to polling booths at Bhrahmanchak village this morning triggering high tension in the area.
The attackers, allegedly belonging to the ruling Trinamool Congress, opened fire, showered bombs and pounced upon the voters with choppers, iron rods and sticks. Four of the victims, all stated to be CPI(M) supporters, were shot at while the rest either received splinter injuries or were hacked and severely beaten up. Sixteen of the injured were hospitalised while five were stated to be missing.
Moderate to brisk polling was reported from six seats in Bihar.
More than nine million voters were eligible to exercise their franchise under tight security vigil to decide the fate of 90 candidates, including five females.
The seats where polling was held were Valmikinagar, West Champaran, East Champaran, Vaishali, Gopalganj and Siwan Lok Sabha seats.
Candidates whose fate was sealed in EVMs today include former Union Minister Raghuvansh Prasad Singh contesting on RJD ticket from Vaishali, former Union Minister Raghunath Jha on RJD ticket from West Champaran, former state BJP president Radha Mohan Singh from East Champaran, noted Hindi film producer and director Prakash Jha on JD(U) ticket from West Champaran and former minister in Bihar government Purnmasi Ram on Congress ticket from Valmikinagar.
About 47 per cent electorate exercised their franchise despite scorching heat till afternoon today in the six seats where polling was held for the sixth and final phase of Lok Sabha elections in Bihar.
An FIR was registered against JD(U) MLA Amrendra Pandey for allegedly thrashing a voter in Gopalganj Lok Sabha seat.
Additional Chief Electoral Officer R Laxmanan said one Jairam Tiwary was thrashed by JD(U) MLA from Kuchaikot assembly constituency Amrendra Pandey alias Pappu Pandey while he was on way to exercise his franchise at booth number-205 in Hathua assembly segment of Gopalganj Lok Sabha seat.
Over 45 per cent voters today exercised their franchise for the 18 seats in the sixth and last phase of Lok Sabha election in Uttar Pradesh amid tight security.
Polling was reported to be peaceful with no untoward incident being reported so far. An FIR has been registered against Congress candidate from Varanasi Ajay Rai at Chetganj police station for sporting party symbol while voting at Ramnagar polling booth.
In Varanasi, several voters in the Pilikothi area staged a demonstration before the polling booth after several names were found missing from the voters list. Police had to use mild force to disperse the agitated people.
One person was injured in a clash outside a polling booth in Saiyedraja area in Chandauli Lok Sabha seat. Polling was not disturbed by the violence.
Polling hours were 0700 hrs to 1800 hrs. But in three assembly segments of Robertsganj seat, polling ended at 1600 hrs due to Naxalite threat.
BJP’s prime ministerial nominee Narendra Modi and former Delhi chief minister and Aam Aadmi Party(AAP) candidate Arvind Kejriwal, are fighting from Varanasi seat.
Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav is fielded from Azamgarh, BJP’s Yogi Adityanath from Gorakhpur, UP Assembly speaker and SP candidate Mata Prasad Pandey from Doomariaganj,Union Minister of State for Home and Congress candidate R P N Singh from Kushinagar, Bhojpuri actor and Congress candidate Ravi Kishan from Jaunpur, and BJP MLA Kalraj Mishra from Deoria were among the 328 candidates in the fray.
Of the total 328 candidates, 87 are Independents and 14 females.
There were 63 criminals in the fray, including don Mukhtar Ansari(Ghosi), D P Yadav (Ghazipur) and Dhananjay Singh (Independent).
A UNI report from Lucknow said that moderate to brisk turnout was recorded from the 18 seats spread over mainly in the eastern UP.
Sources said the polling was brisk in early hours but slowed down as the mercury rose.
Polling was also held in Naxalite-infested Sonebhadra, Mirzapur and Chandauli districts. In three assembly segments of Robertsganj seat, polling was held till 1600 hrs due to Naxalite threat. (AGENCIES)
Follow our WhatsApp channel