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| Phase III: 50% Voter Turnout | | |
New Delhi, April 30: An estimated 50 per cent of the 14.4 crore electorate today exercised their franchise in the third phase of Lok Sabha polls nine states and two union territories, which passed off by and large peacefully barring stray violence in Bihar and West Bengal.
The 14 constituencies in West Bengal, where the polling was held for the first time in this election, recorded the highest turnout of 64 per cent followed by Karnataka (57), Gujarat (50) and Maharashtra (45 per cent).
As soon as the polling began, Maoists exploded a landmine near a booth at Biramdih in West Bengal's Purulia district, injuring two Central paramilitary force jawans.
Three policemen were injured when supporters of two rival candidates clashed and indulged in stone throwing, leading police to open fire in the air to quell them at a booth in Mongra in Bihar's Katihar district.
Meanwhile, residents of Goutaman Kheda village boycotted the vote protesting against the lack of development. "Pul road nahin to vote nahin (No vote without bridge and road)," read a banner outside the village of Sarni in Rae Bareli, the traditional seat of Nehru-Gandhi family where Congress President Sonia Gandhi is seeking re-election for Lok Sabha.
A total of 1,567 candidates, including 101 women, were fighting for 107 seats in this phase. Polling is also underway for the 32-member Sikkim legislative assembly.
"I suggest that political parties and the Election Commission should think over whether we can change the Constitution for a fixed tenure for Lok Sabha and Assemblies," said 81-year-old Advani, who, alongwith with his wife, cast his vote in the morning.
Modi cast his vote at 9 am at Navchetan School polling station in Ranip. "The whole campaign was peaceful, joyful and energetic. I congratulate and thankful to people of Gujarat for this," he told reporters.
BOX IN ABOVE ITEM
POLL HIGHLIGHTS
• Three persons were arrested from Mumbai North-East Lok Sabha constituency of Maharashtra with cash worth Rs 2.60 lakh which was allegedly meant to be distributed among voters.
• Two nodal officers of the Panchamahal district in Gujarat were injured after they were beaten up by some villagers outside a polling booth in the Sehra taluka. The incident happened when the two officers while following local congress leader Takhatsinh Solanki's vehicle, came near the Narsana village and saw the villagers engaged in a brawl out side a polling booth. When the officers went near the booth to see what was happening, the people beat them up.
• Police raided the office of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) candidate from south Mumbai constituency Haji Ibrahim Sheikh and sealed a safe.
• In an interesting incident, members of a farmers' association in Shimoga Lok Sabha constituency staged a dharna in front of a polling officer, demanding that the indelible ink mark be affixed on their right forefinger, as reportedly done for Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa and some others.
• An altercation took place between MNS activists and supporters of Congress candidate Sanjay Nirupam in a north west suburb following which his police bodyguard fired two rounds in the air to disperse the crowd.
• The Gram Lokrakshak Dal (GLD) jawans, who were deployed in the pooling booth of Waghwan village, had an altercation with the polling agents of BJP over some issue, following which the GLD filed an FIR against BJP's polling agents.
• Six persons were injured in clashes between the supporters of ruling National Conference (NC) and opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) which broke out at several places in the Anantnag constituency of J&K.
• Hareram Fauji , a candidate of the Janvadi Party (socialist) has been allegedly been kidnapped by his rivals in the Sitapur district of UP.
Unhappy due to the lack of development work done by the government in their region, people from 4 villages in the Bhavnagar district in Gujarat boycotted the polls.
A Congress worker was shot at a polling booth in Jamua in Bhind constituency in Madhya Pradesh, when he allegedly opposed a booth capturing attempt made by unidentified persons
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