M A I N   N E W S

Campaign ends for final phase

NEW DELHI, Feb 20 (PTI, UNI) — Campaigning for the final phase of the February 22 assembly elections to 307 constituencies spread over Bihar, Haryana, Manipur and Orissa ended this evening.

While campaigning was by and large peaceful in all four states, it came to an abrupt end in Manipur yesterday following opposition by the All-Manipur Students Union (AMSU) which imposed a “public curfew”.

In Bihar, having a three-phase poll for the 324-member House, around 1.98 crore voters are eligible to exercise their franchise in the final phase to decide the fate of 1,326 candidates. Polling has already been held for 108 seats on February 12 and equal number of constituencies on February 17.

Top leaders including Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, Union Minister L.K. Advani, Congress President Sonia Gandhi criss-crossed various constituencies in the state.

In Orissa, battlelines have been drawn between the ruling Congress and the BJP-BJD combine as the campaign ended for 77 of the 147 assembly constituencies going to polls for the second and final phase. An estimated 1.30 crore voters, mostly in politically sensitive coastal region, are eligible to cast their franchise. Polling for first phase was held on February 17.

There are 484 candidates including 32 women in the fray.

Despite visits by political heavyweights including Mr Vajpayee, Mrs Gandhi and several film personalities, the two-week long campaign was “dull and insipid” due to after-effects of the cyclone in the coastal belt.

In Haryana 971 candidates, including Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala and two former Chief Ministers Bansi Lal and Bhajan Lal, have thrown their hats in the ring for the 90 assembly seats.

Sixtythree members of the dissolved house are contesting with 50 having the same party affiliation as in 1996 while 13 have changed their party affiliations following denial of renominations.

In the northeast state of Manipur, campaigning for 32 constituencies, which fall under four valley districts, virtually ended yesterday afternoon following opposition by the AMSU which imposed a “public curfew” on the final phase of polling on Tuesday demanding unconditional release of its leader Chandreswar Sharma. He was arrested last November for the AMSU’s alleged links with underground organisations. The AMSU has strongly denied the allegation.

Security and police posts in Imphal East, Imphal West, Thoubal and Bishenpur districts have been put on maximum alert.

Sources said about 6.6 lakh people are expected to exercise their franchise at 911 polling stations, of which 112 have been identified as hyper-sensitive and 306 as sensitive.

Chief Minister and chief of Manipur State Congress Party (MSCP) W. Nipamacha Singh (Wangoi), and Deputy Chief Minister and MSCP leader L. Chandramani Singh (Patsoi) are among 196 candidates in fray for the February 22 poll.

The first phase polls were held in 27 Assembly constituencies on February 12 last. Elections to the Tipaimukh Assembly constituency, which was to be held in the first phase, has been postponed following killing of a candidate there.