M A I N   N E W S

Big turnout in Haryana byelections
Tribune News Service

Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda shows the ink mark on his finger after casting his vote at Sanghi village on Thursday. — A Tribune photograph

Chandigarh, June 2
While heavy polling has been reported in the Kiloi and Tosham Assembly constituencies, Hisar reported comparatively moderate voting today.

According to an official spokesman, about 87 per cent polling was reported from Tosham, about 85 per cent from Kiloi and 62 per cent from Hisar. The Chief Minister, Mr Bhupinder Singh Hooda, is seeking entry to the Vidhan Sabha from Kiloi. Mrs Kiran Chaudhry, widow of the former Agriculture Minister, Mr Surender Singh, and Mrs Savitri Jindal, widow of the former Power Minister O.P. Jindal, are contesting from Tosham and Hisar, respectively.

He said no untoward incident had been reported from anywhere.

KILOI (Rohtak): Long queues were noticed outside most of the booths even before the polling commenced in the morning. The voters kept standing in the vicinity of the booths even after casting their votes. Inbetween, they were seen deputing someone from amongst themselves to coax others who had not yet voted to come to the booths.

Mr Hooda cast his vote at his ancestral village, Sanghi, in the afternoon. He flew from Chandigarh to Delhi from where he drove to the village. There was a long queue at the booth and he offered to wait for his turn. However, villagers requested him to jump the queue and exercise his franchise. He was accompanied by his Cabinet colleague, Mr Venod Sharma.

Polling was reported to be peaceful. Women and youth turned out in large numbers.

The INLD polling agents, though present at all booths, appeared to be a demoralised lot. Most of them sat silently, raising very few objections during the polling.

Mr Ajay Singh Chautala, MP, alleged that the poll was rigged by the Chief Minister’s supporters at the behest of his family members and Congress legislators. He said INLD voters were turned away from the booths and government officials on duty colluded with the Congress workers in rigging the poll.

He alleged that some Congress miscreants fired in the air at Rainakpura polling booths to scare the INLD men. He said he had reported the incidents to the Election Observers, but they ignored his complaints. The INLD would seek a repoll in the constituency under the supervision of Central forces and Central Government officials.

The Congress election office here described these charges as a sign of “political frustration” in view of the certain defeat of the INLD.

TOSHAM (Bhiwani): The story of Kiloi was repeated in this constituency too as about 87 per cent of the voters turned out to cast their votes. The INLD and BJP have not put up any candidate from this seat against Mrs Chaudhry.

Polling remained brisk from morning till the end. Long queues were noticed even towards the end of the polling, which was peaceful.

Despite being a predominantly rural constituency, women voters came out to poll in large groups. Their queues were even longer than those of male voters at many booths.

The election campaign in this constituency was low key in view of the tragic circumstances that caused the bypoll.

HISAR: Polling here remained a quiet and one-sided affair in favour of the Congress candidate. The Independent candidates, however, alleged large-scale rigging, use of terror tactics and fraud by supporters of the ruling party.

The Congress workers had a tough time in persuading their supporters to go to the polling booths. “Since there is hardly any contest, the voters, too, are not enthusiastic,” admitted a Congress worker.

Dr Rajender Malik (Independent) termed the polling process as a “big fraud”. He said his supporters had clicked pictures depicting bogus voting and violation of the Model Code of Conduct. These would be sent to the Election Commission for action.

Another Independent candidate, Mr M.L. Sehgal, lamented the alleged terror tactics and corrupt practices adopted by Congress workers. He alleged that police and administrative officials deployed at the polling booths remained mute spectators.

Mr Naveen Jindal, Congress MP from Kurukshetra and younger son of the party nominee, Mrs Savitri Jindal, however, refuted the allegations.