3 killed in MP poll violence
Tribune News Service and agencies

NEW DELHI, Nov 25 — Three persons were killed and 16 injured in poll violence in Madhya Pradesh today with the turnout in Delhi, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh being moderate and heavy in Mizoram.

"It has been a peaceful operation barring some incidents of firing in Madhya Pradesh's Bhind district between supporters of different parties," the Chief Election Commissioner, Dr M S Gill said after the 10-hour polling in four states and byelections in other states ended this evening.

(According to reports from Madhya Pradesh, firing took place at six places in four constituencies in Bhind district between supporters of the BJP and the Congress).

The Election Commission said in Madhya Pradesh the turnout was 50 per cent, in Delhi 52 per cent, in Rajasthan above 60 per cent and it was above 70 per cent in Mizoram.

Dr Gill said the final figure could be different since the percentage was arrived at after collecting data from various states immediately after the end of voting at 5 p.m.

The turnout in the byelections stood at 65 per cent in Adampur, (Punjab), 50 per cent in the four assembly constituencies of Bihar, 40 per cent in Agra East, 70 per cent in three assembly constituencies in West Bengal and 57 per cent in the lone Broach parliamentary constituency in Gujarat.

Dr Gill said the commission also received complaints from the Congress regarding a case of poisoning in the Hauz Khas constituency where the BJP's chief ministerial candidate, Mrs Sushma Swaraj, was contesting.

He said the commission would review cases and arrive at a decision on a repoll tomorrow.

On the use of electronic voting machines (EVMs), Dr Gill said it was a "major step forward" and claimed that following its success the commission would make use of it in the next round of the assembly poll due to be held next year.

Dr Gill also said the experiment of using three mobile polling stations in Barmer in Rajasthan was "successful" and promised to use it more extensively in future.

On the model code of conduct, the commission said parties obeyed it by and large even though they might have some reservations.

The commission also said that during the current elections, there were no serious complaints of use of money.

"Perhaps this indicates that the campaign and the presence of observers must have made a difference," he said.

In Rajasthan, following attempted booth-capturing in Amakheda village in the Sironj constituency and Dudma in the Kota constituency, repolling was recommended in two booths, Madhya Pradesh Chief Electoral Officer Ashok Kumar Vijayvargia said.

In Mizoram, 60 per cent of the 4.45 lakh voters turned out to elect the 40-member House, while nearly 55 per cent of the 2.9 crore voters exercised their franchise to choose 197 of the 200 members to the Rajashtan Assembly.

In Madhya Pradesh, of a total electorate of 4.47 crore, 50 per cent cast their votes for the 320-member assembly.

In a poll-related development in Mizoram, Samata Party candidate from the Suanpuilawn Assembly constituency A Siama was allegedly kidnapped by some persons last night, the police said.

Incidents of snatching and tearing of ballot papers in attempts of booth-capturing were reported in three assembly constituencies in Rajasthan.

The incidents were reported in two polling stations at Rupas and Bangore in the Laxmangarh constituency, two in the Nadbai constituency and four in the Jaipur (Rural) constituency, Inspector-General of police H N Meena said.

In Madhya Pradesh, Mr Hari Singh Narwaria, the Congress candidate from the Mehgaon constituency, was arrested after he opened fire in the air near a booth to scare away voters. In polling, however, was not disturbed, state Chief Electoral Officer Ashok Kumar Vijayvargia said.

Vajpayee hints at snap poll

LUCKNOW, Nov 25 (PTI) — Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee today hinted at the possibility of mid-term elections in the country as the exit poll indicated a rout for the BJP in the crucial states of Delhi and Rajasthan in the assembly poll.

The present political situation is pregnant with many such possibilities and the Coordination Committee of the BJP and its allies will meet immediately after the results of assembly elections are announced to assess the post-poll scenario," he told a press conference here.

Mr Vajpayee was replying to a question on the possibility of a snap poll in the wake of the BJP's drubbing projected in the exit poll.

In the same breath, the Prime Minister said the results of assembly elections in Delhi, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Mizoram were not going to affect his government.

"Even if the results go against us, this is not going to affect the government at the Centre," he said.

Mr Vajpayee asserted that his government enjoyed majority support in the Lok Sabha and there was no threat to it.

On the exit poll projections, he said: "It is premature to comment at this stage. Let the results be out. The Coordination Committee will meet to decide the future course of action."

Mr Vajpayee said the spiralling prices of essential commodities were not the major issue in the assembly poll.

"This was one of the issues, but not the only one," he said when asked to comment whether the price spiral affected the BJP’s prospects at the hustings.

Charging the opposition parties with giving a political colour to the "Saraswati Vandana issue", Mr Vajpayee said he was not in favour of making recitation of Vande Mataram and "Saraswati Vandana" compulsory in government-run schools.

"We cannot impose these, but political parties are trying to give a political colour to the controversy for vested interest."

On the raids at the Rae Bareli residence of noted Islamic scholar Ali Mian, the Prime Minister said the Uttar Pradesh Government had ordered a high-level inquiry and the guilty would be brought to book.

Asserting that the central or state agencies had no role to play in this incident as alleged by the Opposition, he said: "I see a conspiracy to vitiate the peaceful atmosphere in the country just before the assembly poll."

On Bihar, Mr Vajpayee said the issue of imposition of President’s rule in the state was very much alive.

"This issue is certainly not in the cold storage. It is still very much alive. All the options are open but we need to deliberate on them further," he said.

On Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackeray’s remarks on Pakistan cricket team’s coming visit to India, Mr Vajpayee said this was not going to pose any threat to the Shiv Sena-BJP government in Maharashtra.

"I have spoken to Mr Thackeray and the issue will be sorted out amicably."

Mr Vajpayee said a "huge amount of black money has been deposited by politicians, businessmen and bureaucrats in Swiss banks" but added his government was determined to bring this money back.

"We have also asked the Swiss authorities to hand over the remaining documents in the Bofors gun deal," he said.

Earlier addressing public meetings here, the Prime Minister lashed out at the Opposition for spreading "rumours" about shortage of essential commodities saying the entire exercise was intended to defame his government just before the assembly poll.