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64 per cent polling in Haryana

Rajesh Ahuja

Photos: Akhilesh Kumar & R.V. Moorthy

Voting time: Men and women queue up to cast their votes during the fourth phase of general elections at Panchkula (top) and at Sampla village of Rohtak District in Haryana on Thursday.

CHANDIGARH: Polling in Haryana for all the ten Lok Sabha seats from the State on Thursday was by and large peaceful. According to the Election Office here, an estimated 64 per cent of the over 1.20 crore electorate exercised their franchise despite gruelling heat.

According to preliminary reports of polling percentage in various parliamentary constituencies across the State, Kurukshetra ranked at the top with 71 per cent, followed by Sirsa 67 per cent, Karnal 65 per cent, Sonepat 63.17 per cent, Ambala 65 per cent, Faridabad 55 per cent, Gurgaon 60 per cent, Rohtak 62.1 per cent, Hisar 64 per cent and Bhiwani-Mahendergard 65 per cent.

The fate of 210 candidates, including 14 women, was sealed by the end of the day. The prominent candidates include former Chief Minister Bhajan Lal (Hisar), Union Minister of State for Poverty Alleviation Kumari Selja (Ambala), Union Minister of State for Defence Production Rao Inderjeet Singh (Gurgaon), Deepender Singh Hooda (Rohtak), Ajay Chautala (Bhiwani-Mahendergarh), Shruti Chaudhry (Bhiwani-Mahendergarh), Naveen Jindal (Kurukshetra), former cricketer Chetan Sharma (Faridabad), Indian Youth Congress president Ashok Tanwar (Sirsa) and former Union Home Minister I. D.Swami (Karnal).

Voters in HMT Pinjore falling in Ambala reserved constituency boycotted the poll in protest against the UPA Government’s “inaction” to set right the affairs of the “crumbling” public sector behemoth and give proper wages to the employees who they said were virtually stagnating. A senior police officer personally monitored the situation by issuing warnings to the union leaders not to prevent anyone from exercising their franchise. Only five persons had cast their votes there by 2 p.m.

There was moderate polling in Kalka and Pinjore and resentment over recent demolitions was quite visible.

There were reports of boycott of polling from five villages in Jind district, now a part of Sonepat parliamentary constituency, on account of lack of drinking water in the area. Sources said the voters of Jhanjh Kalan, Jhanjh Khurd, Barodi, Kamach Kheda and Ramrai had decided not to vote as political parties had failed to provide drinking and irrigation water. There were also reports of a similar boycott in Kaithal Assembly segment of Kurukshetra parliamentary constituency.

Many voters made a beeline for the polling booths at 7 a.m. itself to avoid the heat and the rush. At most places the polling started on a low key and picked up later in the day. Several voters went to exercise their franchise in the evening before the closing time of 5 p.m.

There were reports from several polling booths of names missing from the electoral rolls. In Sector 6 of Panchkula, one voter who had the Election Card with him found to his chagrin that his name had been deleted from the photo electoral rolls. Similar complaints were received from Gurgaon.

Meanwhile, in a unique protest against delimitation of constituencies, voters of Khanpur village in Kaithal (Kurukshetra parliamentary constituency) boycotted the polls to protest against the inclusion of their village in Guhla Assembly constituency from Kaithal Assembly constituency.

Hooda thanks people

Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda thanked the people on Thursday for voting in large numbers and also for the smooth and peaceful polling. He said about 64 per cent voters cast their votes for the ten Lok Sabha constituencies in the State.In a statement here, Mr. Hooda said that despite hot weather voters came out of their homes in large numbers and enthusiastically exercised their franchise to elect their favourite candidates.

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