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60 pc polling reported in state
Skirmishes, protests in Faridabad Former Haryana minister held Former
Haryana Revenue Minister and senior Congress leader Nirmal Singh
being taken to a police station following his arrest at Konkpur village on
Monday. — Photo by Neeraj Chopra
65 pc polling in Ambala constituency
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Ex-Cong MLA beaten up by
Ajay Chautala’s gunmen
Bhiwani, May 10 Polling in this constituency, where the progenies of three heavyweight ‘Lals’ of Haryana are in the contest, was marred by violent incidents including one of firing which took place at Bamla village falling in the Mundhal assembly segment of Bhiwani Lok Sabha seat. Four Hisar villages boycott poll Hisar, May 10 Four villages of Uchana Assembly segment falling in the Hisar Lok Sabha seat boycotted polling in protest against failure of politicians to solve their longstanding problems. These villages are Ghogrian, Roj Khera, Kalta and Bhonsla. According to official sources no votes were polled at any of the booths in these villages following a collective decision by the residents not exercise their franchise. 101-year-old casts vote Kaithal, May 10 Jeewan Dass (101) was the oldest man to cast his vote at booth No 79 at the local Om Prabha Jain Modern Senior Secondary School under the Kurukshetra parliamentary seat today. 63 pc vote in Kalka Assembly segment Panchkula, May 10 Barring a few minor poll-related cases, over 63 per cent voters cast their votes in the Kalka Assembly segment of the Ambala parliamentary constituency which went to the polls today. 
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60 pc polling reported in state
The poll percentage is likely to go up when the final figures would come in by late tonight. The polling in Haryana is considered to be heavy when viewed in the light of the national average of 50 to 55 per cent in the first three phases. In the Sonepat Lok Sabha constituency, one person, said to be a BJP supporter, was murdered when he was attacked by some persons. In the Bhiwani constituency one person was injured when certain car-borne persons opened fire in a village.
In Ambala, a former Haryana minister and former president of the state Youth Congress, Mr Nirmal Singh, was arrested when he allegedly manhandled Presiding Officer, Mr Vishal Sharma, brother of cricketer Chetan Sharma. The highest poll percentage, 64.2, was reported from Bhiwani where the elder son of the Chief Minister, Mr Ajay Chautala, was facing Mr Surender Singh and Mr Kuldeep Bishnoi, sons of two former Chief Ministers, Mr Bansi Lal and Mr Bhajan Lal, respectively. Mahendragarh reported the lowest poll percentage of 54. The Sirsa constituency, to which the ruling family of the state belongs, reported 63 per cent polling. The poll percentage in Hisar was 62. Both Ambala and Rohtak returned 61 per cent polling. In Sonepat it was 60 per cent, while Karnal reported 59 per cent polling. The poll percentage in Kurukshetra, from where Mr Abhay Chautala, younger son of the Chief Minister, is contesting, was 58. Faridabad reported 55 per cent polling. The polling in Haryana is usually heavy. It has never been less than 63.68 per cent recorded in 1999. The highest was in 1977 when 73.26 per cent of the electors exercised their right to vote. In the first elections held in 1967 after Haryana came into being, the poll percentage was 72.61. It was 64.35 in 1971, 64.76 in 1980, 66.84 in 1984, 64.41 in 1989, 65.84 in 1991, 70.48 in 1996 and 68.99 in 1998. Today the polling was brisk in the morning. But as the heatwave intensified, it slowed down. It picked up again towards the evening. According to an official spokesman, workers of the Congress and the Haryana Vikas Party (HVP) set on fire two vehicles and the office of the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) at Dadri in the Bhiwani constituency. A criminal case was registered against Mr Jaipal Singh Sangwan, a former IAS officer, and others, all supporters of the BJP candidate from Sonepat, Mr Kishan Singh Sangwan, for allegedly manhandling a head constable. A complaint was also lodged against Mr Kishan Singh's son, Pradeep, for slapping a youth at Chulkana village. The spokesman said a polling agent of the BJP, Jaskaran, a resident of Kurangawali village in Sirsa district, was allegedly caught red-handed while taking away an electronic voting machine. A case under Section 135 of the Representation of the People's Act was registered against him at Rori police station. Vehicular movement had been reduced considerably as the police put up nakas at various places. Though there were restrictions on the movement of vehicles in the urban areas, in the countryside the people did not face such a problem. They could travel within a district without any hindrance. The administration also did not suspend the mobile phone services as it was convinced that easy communication would help in bringing down complaints of poll irregularities. The Haryana Roadways plied its buses normally. But there were not many passengers. A majority of the shops in the towns were closed. |
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Skirmishes, protests in Faridabad
Faridabad, May 10 The polling which started at low pace in some of the areas, especially urban pockets, picked up near noon and in the second half of the day. The votes polled by 1 pm was around 40 per cent. A large number of women voters were seen queuing at many polling stations in villages. But at some booths, reports of several voters not finding their names in the voters’ list also emerged. About 200 residents of various colonies in the Ballabgarh segment staged a demonstration outside the election office of the SDM to demand voting right as they flashed their voters I-cards. It is learnt that the authorities expressed their helplessness and reportedly told them they ought to have checked their names when the lists were being revised and now nothing could be done. According to reports, supporters of Congress and INLD candidates clashed at a booth at Bhimseeka village in Hathin subdivision over casting of votes by some persons. But the situation was resolved with the interference of village elders and the local officials. In another such incident, an election agent of the INLD candidate had a heated exchange with the presiding officer of a booth at Jawaan village in Ballabgarh subdivision after the polling official objected to the agent’s role in helping the voters cast their votes. The authorities had also to stop voting process for several hours after there was a clash between agents of two candidates over the bogus voting and allegations of booth capturing at Ghagaz village in Nuh subdivision of Gurgaon district. A total of 1511 polling stations had been set up in nine segments of which three were in neighbouring Gurgaon district. While Mewla Maharajpur segment had the largest number of voters, the Hathin segment had the least number of voters. KAITHAL: The elections in all four Assembly segments, falling in the Kurukshetra Parliamentary constituency, and the Kalayat Assembly segment, falling in the Hisar Parliamentary constituency, concluded peacefully, according to District Electoral Officer Anurag Agarwal. However, a clash between INLD and Congress workers at Nand Karan Majra village was averted when INLD workers reportedly tried to capture polling booths but Central Observer Banmali Sinha reached the spot and controlled the situation. Reports of minor scuffles and exchange of hot words between INLD and Congress workers also poured in from some rural booths in the Pai assembly segment. Congress leaders alleged that ruling party workers threatened and intimidated their supporters at a number of places in rural areas. Large number of voters protested over the deletion of their names from the voters list. The situation in the Mini Secretariat here became tense when hundreds of voters raised slogans against the Election Commission, the local administration and the state government in protest against the deletion of their names from the voters’ list almost all of them were carrying photo identity cards issued by the Election Commission. Most of them said they had voted in all previous Assembly, Lok Sabha and municipal council elections but now their names did not figure in the voters list. ROHTAK:
Polling in this constituency passed off peacefully despite apprehensions of violence following a bloody clash between Congress and BJP workers early this morning. According to official sources, no major incident was reported from any part of the constituency barring Bharan village in the Meham Assembly segment where an ex-sarpanch Bhupen was injured in a clash. In another incident, local BJP leader Munish Grover was roughed up at a polling booth. Polling began on a brisk note in all areas as voters were keen to cast their votes in the morning to avoid the summer heat later in the day. Helped by time-saving EVMs, almost all polling booths registered 50 per cent polling by 1 pm. There was a lull in polling after that because of hot winds blowing in the
area. Polling picked up again in the last 90 minutes and long queues were noticed at the booths when the deadline expired at 5 pm. The ban on plying of private vehicles in the area was flouted with impunity. One of the notable features was the enthusiasm among women voters. FATEHABAD:
Polling remained peaceful in the four Assembly segments of the Sirsa (reserve) Parliamentary constituency falling under Fatehabad district, barring a few incidents of tussles between supporters of the ruling INLD and the Congress. Nearly 60 percent polling was reported in the district. Supporters of the INLD and the Congress were involved in a conflict at Tohana town in this district when a woman, who reached a polling station to cast her vote, was told that her vote had already been cast. This started a war of words between supporters of the INLD and the Congress. This soon turned into a conflict in which blows were exchanged. The district administration, however, diffused the tension and Deputy Commissioner Mahtab Singh Sehrawat and SP Saurabh Singh reached there. An incident of exchange of blows was reported from Kanheri village in this district too. 102-year-old Jodhan Devi came to a polling booth in Bhirdana village to cast her vote. JHAJJAR:
Approximately 55 to 60 per cent polling was reported in the district today, which passed off peacefully except a minor tussle among supporters of candidates in some villages. Official sources said no incident of rigging or violence was reported in the district. In the Bahadurgarh Assembly segment, falling under the Sonepat Lok Sabha constituency, some persons alleged attempts of intimidation by ruling party workers. Sources said about 55 per cent polling was reported in the Bahadurgarh assembly segment and 66 per cent in the Badli Assembly constituency. Karnal:
The scorching heat of the sun with the maximum temperature hovering around 41.7°C in Karnal and Panipat could not dampen the spirit of the electorate for the polling here today. According to Returning Officer-cum-District Magistrate of Karnal R.S. Doon, the average polling in rural areas was reported to be around 65 per cent and urban areas 55 per cent. The fate of Union Minister of State for Home Affairs I.D. Swami (BJP), former MP Arvind Sharma (Congress) and Transport Minister of Haryana Ashok Arora (INLD) was sealed in EVMs today. Tribune correspondent visited many urban localities of Karnal, Indri, Nilokheri, Nissing, Jundla, Assandh and many areas in Panipat district At many places, long queues could be seen. As per the preliminary reports, maximum polling was witnessed in the Nilokheri Assembly segment, estimated at around 67 per cent, followed by Samalkha which reported around 66 per cent voting. Panipat reported around 50 per cent polling. No incident of violence was reported from any part of the constituency except for a minor scuffle between district president of the Congress (rural) Zile Ram Sharma and supporters of the INLD at Balla village in the Assandh Assembly segment of Karnal district. No one was reportedly injured from the either side. A snag was developed in EVMs at three places, two of which were repaired immediately by technical staff while the one at booth no 73 at Karnal was replaced by a spare EVM, said the District Magistrate YAMUNANAGAR:
Polling in Yamunanagar district was conducted peacefully in all five segments. However, few persons alleged that their names were missing from the
voter's list, though they had voted in the last elections. The names of Rajesh Sharma, Deputy Chairman, Planning Board, Haryana, and Members of his family, were also missing from the list and they were not able to cast their votes. Several other persons, including Vipin Bala, Pavitar Singh, Nabrinder Kaur, Karnail Singh and Balwant Singh from Ward no 30, and Sudha Talwar and Vikram Talwar from Ward no 17, were also unable to exercise their franchise as their names were not in the list. Hema Nagpal of Ward no. 15 also did not find her name in the list. 90-year-old Shanti Rani, who had come to the Guru Nanak Girls College polling station, said this was probably the last time in her lifetime that she would be casting her vote. Deputy Commissioner Vijayendra Kumar, said a few EMVs, which were defective, were replaced. For physically challenged persons, the district administration had installed ramps at many places. He said there was complete peace in all five Assembly Segments Yamunanagar and Radaur, in the Kurukshetra Parliamentary constituency and Jagadhri, Chhachhrauli and Sadhaura in the Ambala Parliamentary constituency. SP Rajinder Singh said no untoward incident had occurred in the district. A case had, however, been registered against Yameen of Daulatpur village in the Chhachhrauli segment as he was interfering in the work of presiding officer there. KURUKSHETRA:
The Congress candidate, Mr Naveen Jindal, who is contesting the Lok Sabha elections from the Kurukshetra Parliamentary constituency, at a press conference held at his residence here today demanded a repoll at polling booths no 64 and 65 at Nandkaran Majra village and two booths in Faridbad village under the Pai Assembly constituency segment in Kaithal district. Mr Jindal alleged these polling booths were captured by INLD workers, who stormed into the polling booths, pushed out representatives of opposition parties forcibly and repeatedly pressed buttons of the EVMs favouring their party symbol. Conveying anguish to the Returning Officer-cum-Deputy Commissioner, Mrs Sukriti Likhi, Mr Jindal said besides initiating a stern action against the police and the presiding officers responsible for alleged booth capturing, repol at all four polling booths should be declared. SIRSA: Barring a few stray incidents the polling in the constituency remained peaceful. Though the pace of voters turn out was tardy in the first hour, it accelerated with time and long queues could be seen outside the polling booths. At the polling booths in Khayonwali village in the district dispute between supporters of two rival political parties hampered the polling process for some time but it resumed as soon as the police reached there and took hold of the situation. The Haryana Chief Minister, Mr Om Prakash Chautala and his wife also caste their vote at the polling booth in their native Chautala village. Addressing mediapersons he said he was proud to be a part of the great democratic process and hoped that he would win all the eleven seats in Haryana and Chandigarh. The senior Congress leader and former Haryana Minister, Mr Jagdish Nehra, has alleged that irregularities were committed at polling booth in about 12 villages of Rori and Dabwali constituency under the pressure of local leaders associated with the ruling party. He has also accused the District Returning Officer of ignoring the complaints received in this regard. Therefore, he has demanded repoll at Jandwala
Vishnoia, Jhuthikhera, Asakhera, Lambi, Abubshehar villages. The BJP’s media chief of the constituency, Mr Kamal
Relan, has also urged to the returning officers for a repoll in various villages of Dabwali and
Rori. The District Returning Officer when contacted accepted having received complaints from Khayonwali village but said when he reached the spot he found polling going on peacefully. He claimed that polling in the district had been peaceful and the stray incidents were promptly attended to. |
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Former Haryana minister held
Ambala, May 10 Mr Nirmal Singh was arrested after he and two others allegedly assaulted a presiding officer at a polling booth falling within the Naggal area this morning. However, Mr Nirmal Singh said the case registered against him was politically motivated and he was not involved in the incident. Trouble took place at the Konkpur polling booth around 9.30 am. Mr Nirmal Singh, along with his supporters, reached the polling booth to assess the poll process. According to INLD activists at the polling booth, Mr Nirmal Singh had an altercation with the presiding officer, Mr Vishal Sharma. “Mr Nirmal Singh and his supporters beat up the presiding officer within the room and then dragged him out and assaulted him in the courtyard,” Mr Kulwant Singh,
Sarpanch, stated. Mr Sharma said he was assaulted within the polling room. “Polling was taking place smoothly and there was no problem. However, without any apparent provocation, I was abused and beaten up,” he said.
Mr Vishal Sharma, who is a lecturer in Government College,
Naraingarh, sustained injuries and was bleeding from nose. He also showed a blood-smeared handkerchief. The poll process at the Konkpur booth was disrupted for about 45 minutes. However, Mr Nirmal Singh denied that he was involved in the incident. “Instead, the presiding officer at the Konkpur booth was ensuring that votes were being cast in the favour of the
INLD. The local people objected this and had an altercation with him. A false case has been prepared against me,” he said. On learning about the incident, police officers, including SP Mohammad Akil and DSP Ashok Sabharwal reached the polling
station. Mr Akil said they were inquiring into the incident. “A written complaint has been submitted by the presiding officer. A case is being registered against Mr Nirmal Singh and two others,” he said. An FIR was subsequently registered at the Sadar police station in Ambala City under Sections 332, 353, 186, 504, 506 of the IPC and Representation of People’s Act 171-C, 132 and 132 A. In the afternoon, Mr Nirmal Singh was arrested near the Tangri bridge in Ambala Cantonment and whisked away to the Sadar police station. |
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65 pc polling in Ambala constituency
Ambala, May 10 While the voting was slow in the morning hours, it picked up as the day progressed. There was comparatively higher voter turnout in rural polling booths compared to the urban ones. The overall voting percentage was about 65. In Mullana, 70 per cent polling took place, while 63 per cent polling took place in Ambala Cantonment. Kalka witnessed 60 per cent polling and Jagadhari experienced 64 per cent polling. In Ambala City, the polling percentage was 61, in Naggal the polling percentage was 70, in Sadhaura the polling percentage was 65, in Naraingarh the polling percentage was 70 and in Chachrauli it was 62. Polling was more or less peaceful barring stray incidents. A few faulty electronic voting machines led to delays in voting in some booths. One of the incidents took place in the Konkpur polling booth in the Naggal assembly segment, which led to the arrest of former Haryana Revenue Minister Nirmal Singh. A case has been registered over the incident at the Sadar police station in Ambala City over the assault on the presiding officer. At Bara Garh village near Shahzadpur, an Indian National Lok Dal supporter was assaulted with sharp-edged weapons by a group of youths. The supporter, Devinder, sustained injuries on his stomach, chin and forehead. Devinder said he was attacked in the afternoon following a heated argument over the display of party symbol in the morning. A driver of the polling party died at Lakhnora village in the Naraingarh area. The driver had suffered a heart attack. Besides stray incidents, complaints of faulty electronic voting machines were also received. At booth No. 42 in Baldev Nagar, the BSP polling agent objected to the faulty electronic voting machine. The second EVM, too, had some problem, as there was no red light. Ultimately, a third EVM was pressed into service. This led to delay of more than an hour. At booth No. 96, a voter pointed out that his vote had not been registered. Subsequently, the voter was allowed to cast his vote again. There were also a couple of complaints of people who had voter cards but found their names missing from the voter list. Mr Anuj Sharma, who was looking forward to cast his vote for the first time, found to his dismay that his name was missing from the voter list even though he had a voter card. Mr Shailendra Khanna of Ambala Cantonment pointed out that although he had a voter I-card, his name was not there in the voter list. While there were some who could not exercise their franchise, as their names were missing, there were others like 100-year-old Mr Krishan Singh and 90-year-old Mr Ramdhin who cast their vote. Mr Krishan Singh, accompanied by his grandson Kanwaljeet, cast his vote at Mahesh Nagar. Mr Ramdhin arrived at the Mohra village polling booth sitting on a cycle cart. Although age had caught up with them, they were determined to cast their vote. Returning Officer H.S. Malik said 1,293 polling booths had been set up in nine Assembly segments. There are 12,000,61 voters, including 6,45,657 male voters and 5,54,404 female voters. There were 114 polling booths in Ambala City, 78 in Ambala Cantonment, 143 in Mullana, 132 in Naraingarh, 141 in Naggal, 262 in Kalka, 153 in Sadhaura, 132 in Chachrauli and 138 in Jagadhari Assembly segments. Heavy police bandobast had been made in the district. Nakas had been put up on the main roads and vehicles were stopped and checked. |
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Cong, BJP workers clash; 12 hurt
Rohtak, May 10 A Toyota Parado limousine of the BJP candidate Capt Abhimanyu Singh was damaged. However, Capt Singh escaped unhurt. Trouble arose around 2.30 a.m. when the two groups gathered outside the residence of the SSP in the wake of seizure of liquor from a few vehicles and a building having the office of a national political party last night. While, BJP candidate Capt Abhimanyu Singh alleged that a relative of Congress nominee, Bhupinder Singh Hooda tried to smash his vehicle against his limousine. The Congress supporters said they were passing by the SSP’s residence when they were stopped by BJP men who assaulted one of their leaders. A free-for-all followed at the gate of the SSP’s residence despite the presence of a police party headed by a DSP. Nearly 12 persons were injured most of whom were discharged from hospitals this morning. The crowd dispersed after the respective candidates pacified their supporters. The police has registered a case. A school building in the Janata Colony was sealed after several crates of liquor were recovered from there in a raid. Likewise, hundreds of bottles were seized from vehicles, on way to the villages where polling was to begin this morning. Two BJP men were arrested and booked under the Excise Act. They were lodged in the lock-up at the Civil Lines police station here. Capt Abhimanyu Singh alleged that the liquor had been planted by Congress supporters in one of the vehicles belonging to his supporters. The arrested BJP men were allegedly made to strip by the police and forced to spend the night in the lock-up. Their clothes were seen lying outside the gates of the lock-up when newspersons visited the police station. |
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Ex-Cong MLA beaten up by
Ajay Chautala’s gunmen
Bhiwani, May 10 In another incident, violence broke out at Dadri when the supporters of Mr Ajay Chautala, candidate of the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD), allegedly slapped Mr Dharam Pal, a former Congress MLA. Mr Chautala’s gunmen also allegedly assaulted Mr Dharam Pal and his son, Anil. In retaliation, Congress supporters ransacked the INLD’s election office at Dadri and set ablaze two cars and two scooters which were parked nearby. Mr Jagjit Singh Sangwan, Congress MLA from Dadri, said Mr Dharam Pal and his son were severely beaten up by Mr Ajay Chautala’s supporters. Both are being treated at the Civil Hospital, Dadri, Mr Sangwan said. He claimed Mr Chautala , who had come to Dadri with his men, also slapped Mr Dharam Pal. His men also assaulted the MLA and a number of his teeth were broken. Anil too was badly beaten up, Mr Sangwan said. He said Mr Bhajan Lal had come to Dadri after hearing about the incident. His presence helped in bringing the situation under control. The situation at Bamla village also remained volatile following the firing incident. Mr Bhajan Lal, President of the Haryana Pradesh Congress Committee, earlier had a taste of the fury of the people of Bamla when women residents of the village appealed to him to terminate the “misrule” of Mr Om Prakash Chautala. The ladies were agitated over the incident of firing on Kartar Singh, former Sarpanch of the village, by alleged INLD supporters. Mr Bhajan Lal’s cavalcade was stopped by the villagers at Bamla who told the HPCC chief about the incident. Shortly before Mr Bhajan Lal had arrived at the scene, an ambulance carrying Mr Kartar Singh had made a brief stopover at the village. It was on its way to the PGI, Rohtak, where the injured has been referred by the doctors of the Bhiwani Civil Hospital. Amrit, Mr Kartar Singh’s 15-year-old son, also received serious head injury and he too has been referred to the PGI, Rohtak. According to people accompanying Amrit, the assaulters had come in two cars (one Scorpion and one Maruti 800) at the polling booth at Bamla and fired in the air to disperse the voters. Mr Kartar Singh was shot on the leg and was beaten on the head. Amrit was allegedly hit with the butt of a pistol on his face. The attackers then lifted Amrit and left him near the village dispensary. Following the incident, voting in the booth was suspended for some time. Mr Vikash Arora, SP, Security, Haryana, who rushed to the booth with additional security for tackling the situation, said voting was kept suspended for about an hour and then resumed again. Polling was also kept suspended in a polling booth of Mandola village where a group of party workers allegedly tried to capture the booth. Minor incidents were also reported from Malha Kohar, Tosham, Duleri, Kohar 42 and other places. All three major candidates from the constituency, Mr Kuldeep Bishnoi, Congress nominee and son of HPCC chief, Bhajan Lal, Mr Ajay Chautala, INLD candidate and son of the Chief Minister, and Mr Surinder Singh, son of Haryana Vikas Party supremo, Bansi Lal, made rounds of Bhiwani town in the morning and then left for other parts of the constituency. |
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Four Hisar villages boycott poll
Hisar, May 10 According to the villagers, a minor had been sanctioned for their villages several years ago. However, none of the successive governments could complete the project. As a result the villagers were facing shortage of the drinking and irrigation water. Residents of these villages had not allowed any candidate to campaign in the villages. Their vehicles were sent back from the outskirts. The Chief Minister, Mr Om Pakrash
Chautala, had visited these villages a few days ago and appealed to them not to boycott polling. However, the villagers refused to relent. |
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101-year-old casts vote
Kaithal, May 10 Though he cannot see properly and move without support, Jeewan Dass, a resident of Nanak Puri Colony here, had a keen desire to vote and was brought to the polling booth by his grandson-in-law Bantu Ram and other family members. At the polling booth one of his family members was allowed to help him cast his vote. |
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63 pc vote in Kalka Assembly segment
Panchkula, May 10 The voting began on to a dull note at 7 am with about 8 per cent of the total 2,26,737 voters in the segment casting their votes by 10 am. However, the voting was the brisk in rural areas, which recorded 66 per cent votes as compared to their urban counterparts where the percentage was only about 54.No untoward incident was reported from any of the 262 polling booths in the assembly segment, the District Electoral Officer, Ms Satwanti Ahlawat, claimed. The overall voting of 63 per cent in the segment was higher than the 2000 Assembly polls when about 59.2 per cent of the electorate had cast their votes. A tour of the segment by this correspondent revealed long queues at the polling booths in the rural belt. At Booth No. 190 in Ramgarh, 360 of the 1,300 votes had been polled by 11.45 am with scores of voters waiting for their turn to cast the vote unmindful of the scorching heat. At Booth No. 191 here, 383 of the 1,308 votes had been polled. Rising mercury failed to dampen the spirit of the rural voters with 392 of the 945 voters at Syamtu village voting by 12 noon. At the hyper-sensitive Booth No. 234 in nearby Rattewali village, nearly 60 per cent of the 1,242 voters had cast their vote by 1 pm. The voting in the other rural areas passed off peacefully and Raipur Rani, Kheri and Barara and Mauli villages recorded over 70 per cent voting. Ashok Kumar, an employee of a liquor contractor,was arrested by the police while selling liquor illegally. The urban areas, except the VIP Sector 6, recorded a low turnout. Even the Rajiv, Indira and Azad Colonies, which traditionally record a higher vote percentage, recorded a low turnout as was evident at Booth No 118, which polled 434 of 1,185 votes by 4 pm. This was on account of the fact that the names of the hundreds of the colony voters were missing from the voters’ list, alleged Mr Shashi Sharma, Congress election in charge. Among the urban areas, only Sector 6, inhabitated by a large number of bureaucrats, recorded a higher turnout with 444 of the 808 voters exercising their right to franchise by 4 pm.
MC chief booked The police today booked the Kalka Municipal Council president and INLD leader, Mr Sushil Kumar Garg, on the charges of intimidating voters and disrupting officials while performing their duties. According to information, Mr Garg tried to create a nuisance when the Election Commission observer, Ms Nisha Singh, visited a polling station.Mr Garg was booked on the complaint of Mr M.R. Murari, Supervisory Officer. A case under the Representation of People’s Act has been registered. |
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Chandigarh, May 10
Official sources, however, say these incidents were not election-related because they took place far away from the polling booths.