The Hindu : National : Peaceful polling in U.P.

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, May 08, 2009
ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version

National

National

Peaceful polling in U.P.

Atiq Khan

LUCKNOW: Barring minor incidents of clashes between rival supporters and complaints about electronic voting machines, polling in the fourth round of the Lok Sabha elections in Uttar Pradesh passed off peacefully on Thursday. A total of 18 parliamentary constituencies in Central UP and Western UP went to the polls during the day.

Around 48 per cent polling was recorded in the fourth phase – the highest so far in the four rounds of Lok Sabha polls in the State. The State’s Chief Electoral Officer, Anuj Kumar Bishnoi, said the voting percentage is likely to touch 50 per cent in the final analysis. For a change, an estimated 2.55 crore voters beat the heat to record a polling percentage higher than that in the first three phases.

The CEO said the polling percentage in roughly the same area in the 2004 Lok Sabha polls was 49.8 per cent.

Complaints of tampering of EVMs and attempts at booth capturing were received from polling booths No. 138 and 139 in Ranausa and Sarai Neem villages under the Jalesar police station area in Etah parliamentary constituency. The possibility of a re-poll at the two booths has not been ruled out by the Chief Electoral Officer. Mr. Bishnoi said a decision would be taken on Friday.

He said 33 complaints regarding functioning of EVMs and 90 other complaints were received by the Election Commission.

Rival Bharatiya Janata Party and Bahujan Samaj Party workers clashed at Bhura village in the Kairana parliamentary constituency. The voting was not disrupted.

In the Gautam Buddha Nagar constituency, two polling agents clashed at polling booth No. 116 in the Sector 15 polling station.

About complaints of money being distributed by the brother of Shyam Sunder Sharma, the BSP candidate from Mathura, Mr. Bishnoi said he has sought a report from the district administration. The incident was reported on Wednesday night when the candidate’s brother was reportedly held captive by the villagers.

Polling was boycotted at polling stations No. 299 and 300 in Kaliyahi and Wajidpur villages in the Kaimganj assembly segment of the Farrukhabad parliamentary constituency. Villagers also boycotted polling at the Kandheri Dhar polling station in the Etawah (reserved) constituency. According to the Chief Electoral Officer, the boycott related to non-availability of water, power and non-construction of a bridge. Mathura with 53 per cent topped the list of polling percentages followed by 52 per cent in Fatehpur Sikri, 51.6 per cent in Meerut, 51 per cent in Muzaffarnagar, 50.2 per cent in Aligarh and 50 per cent in Kairana. Agra (reserved ) recorded the lowest polling of 41.5 per cent. Etawah with 49.6 per cent, Mainpuri with 49.4 per cent and Etah 47 per cent were the other constituencies where the voters’ response was relatively better.

ADG (Law and Order) Brij Lal said barring minor incidents polling passed off peacefully.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

National