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Capital displays indifference to polling again
59.3 pc polling in Hamirpur
Mandi tops with 65 pc
55 pc in Kangra
Polling peaceful at all 4 seats
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Over 600 voters boycott poll
Boycott mars elections in HP
Assessing MLAs’ performance will be tough this time
BJP, Cong lock horns over hotel raid
Poll Holiday
BSP leader joins BJP
Congress complaint
Tension in Kangra following youth’s death
Terror Threat
3 killed, 1 hurt in mishaps
Two bring laurels to school
Skeletal remains extricated
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Capital displays indifference to polling again
Shimla, May 13 The voting in the three assembly segments of Shimla, Shimla (rural) and Kasumpti was barely around 35 per cent by 3 pm. With the last two days and today being holidays in most of the schools, people living here headed homewards to various parts of the state. The voting percentage for the Shimla Lok Sabha seat had also been the lowest (51.89 per cent) last time. The increase in number of polling centres led to a lot of confusion as names of many voters, especially in urban areas, were found to be missing from the voter list. There was so much confusion that at certain places, the names of members of one family were at two different polling centres. While the names of certain voters who had cast their votes in the last assembly elections were found missing from the list, names of a few lucky ones were listed at three places in the same list with a different serial number. One such instance of a name being listed thrice came to notice at Engine Ghar polling centre No. 82. Though both BJP and the Congress admitted that the turnout was relatively low this time, they added the turnout in the assembly polls was always much lower than parliamentary elections. Congress state spokesperson Kuldeep Rathore said the low turnout was an indication of that the political scenario was in favour of the Congress. Convener of the state BJP media cell Ashok Kapatia said rather than politicising the issue of names being deleted from the voter list and the change in polling centre, it is better to bring all these discrepancies to the notice of the Election Commission. As polling trends kept pouring in, BJP and Congress leaders tried to make calculations of their position and the possible
outcome. |
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59.3 pc polling in Hamirpur
Hamirpur, May 13 The polling remained peaceful and no untoward incident was reported from anywhere in the constituency. The pace of voting was slow at a few polling booths in the morning, but it gained momentum later in the day. A large number of aged, physically challenged and first-time voters were seen casting their votes. About 100 voters under the Dharwal polling booth in the Nadaun segment boycotted the poll expressing resentment over delay in construction of a link bridge. Returning officer Abhishek Jain said, “The polling remained peaceful.” Sector officer Subhash Sharma posted at Kangu sector 3 was removed from duty by the returning officer for allegedly reporting on duty in an inebriated condition. Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal cast his vote at his ancestral village, Sameerpur, along with his family members. The assembly segment-wise polling percentage: Dehra (54), Jaswan (50), Dharampur (56.42), Bhoranj (61.08), Sujanpur (63.59), Hamirpur (63.07), Badsar (60.68), Nadaun (57.65), Chintpurni (56.5), Gagrate (60.12), Haroli (65.4), Una (64.19), Kutlehad (65), Jhanduta (60), Ghumarwein (55), Bilaspur (66) and Naina Devi (64). |
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Mandi tops with 65 pc
Mandi, May 13 Apart from Pangi, other tribal assembly segments also led the polling scene in the constituency. Lahaul-Spiti and Kinnaur recorded 70 per cent polling, while Bharmour polled 60 per cent votes. The home borough of Congress candidate Virbhadra Singh Rampur Bushair reported more than 69 per
cent polling. The Pashada polling station reported the highest (95 per cent) polling in this segment. Virbhadra Singh, his MP wife Partibha Singh, son Vikramaditya Singh and his sister cast their votes. In Mandi district, which has nine segments, Seraj reported more than 70 per cent polling, the highest so far. While Sundernagar, Nachan, Jogindernagar and Karsog reported about 60 per cent polling, the figure in case of Mandi (Sadar) was 58, followed by Sarkaghat and Balh (55 per cent). Khaliga Ram (114) cast his vote at the Kadlug polling station in Balh. |
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55 pc in Kangra
Dharamsala, May 13 Senior leaders of the Congress and the BJP, including Shanta Kumar, Kishan Kapoor and Chander Kumar, cast their votes early in the morning. Not even a single voter turned out to cast vote in the Chota and Bara Bhangal areas. Politicians blamed low turnout on extended campaign of over two months and the harvesting season. The moderate polling has left experts in a quandary. Had the percentage been high, it would have indicated the anti-establishment mood among the voters, they said. However, the moderate turnout has kept everybody guessing. Overall, the polling remained peaceful and not even a single incident of violence was reported from anywhere in the constituency. The assembly-wise polling percentage is as follows: Nurpur (61), Indora (62), Fatehpur (65), Jawali (65), Nagrota Bagwan (55), Palampur (58), Baijnath (below 50), Dharamsala and Shahpur (50), Jawalamukhi (54), Dalhouise (54), Churah (59) and Kangra (53). |
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Polling peaceful at all 4 seats
Solan, May 13 Deputy Commissioner Dr Amandeep Garg said polling remained peaceful and no untoward incident was reported from anywhere in the district. Veer Singh (109), who hails from Dagra village in the Jamta area of Sirmaur district, and was at present undergoing treatment at Mandodhar Leprosy Hospital, near Dharampur, was the oldest voter to exercise his right to franchise. A special polling booth had been set up at the leprosy hospital to enable the patients undergoing treatment to cast their votes. The voting was slow in the beginning as only 35 per cent votes had been cast till 1 pm and it picked up later by 3 pm when the voting touched about 47 per cent. Large number of women and children along with first time voters were seen queuing up early to cast their votes. More enthusiasm was visible in the rural areas in comparison to the urban areas where the voter percentage was lower. KULLU: Polling remained steady and peaceful in all four Assembly segments of the Mandi constituency in the district on Wednesday. The average polling was recorded as 63.5 per cent in the district while the Kullu Assembly segment had 54 per cent, Banjar 65 per cent, Manali 65 per cent and Ani 70 per cent. The highest polling station in the district was at Kukari (11,550 ft) where more than 55 per cent polling was recorded while villagers of the most advanced and urbanised Vashisht village, near Manali, protested against a private hydroelectricity project and boycotted the election. Three votes of migrants were polled there. In the Banjar Assembly segment, the farthest (25 km on foot) and highest (8,700 ft) was the Shakti polling station where villagers boycotted the election for being deprived of electricity, communication and road since Independence. The Banjar Subdivisional Magistrate confirmed that there were 59 voters in the village who did not exercised their franchise. PALAMPUR: Over 55 per cent voters exercised their franchise in the Palampur region of the state comprising four constituencies: Palampur, Sulaha, Jaisinghpur and Baijnath. No untoward incident was reported from any part in the region and overall polling remained peaceful. According to official sources, in Baijnath 45 per cent, Palampur 56 per cent, Jaisinghpur 50 per cent and Sulaha 53 per cent voters exercised their franchise. In early hours there was a low turnout in the region, however, in the afternoon it picked and polling percentage went up to 70 per cent in various polling stations. In rural areas there was heavy turnout while in the urban areas there was a poor response. Despite best efforts of the Congress and the BJP, people did not move out of their houses. Since harvesting was in full swing these days, therefore, the farming community did not show much interest in polling. CHAMBA: The Chamba district recorded 57.99 per cent turnout in the general elections to the 15th Lok Sabha and the polls in the entire district, which comprised of five Assembly constituencies, went smoothly and peacefully on Wednesday. The Pangi tribal subdivision, which is a part of the Bharmour tribal assembly constituency, recorded 78.96 per cent, the highest in Chamba district. Chamba DC Maneesh Garg, who is also the district electoral officer, said the Churah (SC) Assembly constituency recorded 59.3 per cent turnout, Bharmour (ST) 67.31 per cent, Chamba 50.81 per cent, Dalhousie 54.17 per cent and Bhattiyat 58.38 per cent. The pace of polling was stated to be slow in the morning hours, but it picked up speed in the afternoon; the DC stated; adding that the Taleru poling station of the Dalhousie Assembly constituency having the minimum number of voters (24) recorded 70.83 per cent which was the highest percentage in any of the polling stations in the district. Out of 24 voters only 17 cast their votes. UNA: In Una district large number of voters turned up to caste their votes as compared to the May 2008 Hamirpur byelection. As per official figures, the Haroli constituency recorded the highest number of voting of 65 per cent this time while in the Hamirpur byelection it was 56.8 per cent. The Gagret constituency recorded 60 per cent voting this time as compared to 51.33 per cent during the last byelection. The Chintpurni constituency, which recorded the lowest percentage in the last byelection (46.8 per cent), showed 57 per cent turnout this time. In the last byelection, the Kutlehar constituency of Una district recorded 56.4 per cent votes while this time it was 61 per cent. The Una constituency, which recorded the highest turnout in Hamirpur byelection at 58.2 per cent recorded 64.1 per cent turnout this time. |
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Over 600 voters boycott poll
Nurpur, May 13 Over 600 voters of Guriyal polling booth (8) set up for ward number one and two of the Guriyal gram panchayat in local Government Primary School abstained from polling. Local block development committee member Anu Pathania and ward member Sahib Singh said there was a lot of resentment among residents over the sudden closure of railway crossing on May 8, which had been started over four decades back. They said the villagers had deposited Rs 1,675 in 1955 for proper railway crossing, but the department had provided temporary crossing on the railway track. The villagers rued that rural people were facing hardships in transportation to approach neighbouring villages following closure of the railway crossing. “Moreover, school kids and aged persons have become handicap as they have been deprived of transport facility on this link road,” they added. They revealed that around 10 school buses used to cross this railway crossing to different private schools in the area. They lamented that local leaders had given them only hollow assurances for setting up permanent crossing. Meanwhile, presiding officer of the polling station Rajesh Katoch confirmed that no voter had come in the booth to cast his vote. |
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Boycott mars elections in HP
Shimla, May 13 Polling began on a low key and only 10 to 12 per cent votes were cast in the first three hours. More people turned out as the day progressed and by noon 32 to 35 per cent voters had voted. The turnout in Kinnaur and Lahaul-Spiti was more than 69 per cent. The Hamirpur constituency recorded the highest turnout ranging from 58 to 60 per cent. The polling was highest in Hamirpur district. District-wise the turnout was 56 per cent in Solan, 60 per cent in Sirmaur, 50 per cent in Shimla, 61 per cent in Hamirpur, 57 per cent in Mandi and Chamba. The peaceful poll was marred by boycott by people in different parts of the state to register their protest and draw attention of the government towards their demands. The people of Vashishtha in Kulu did not vote as they were annoyed over the decision of the government to allow a mini-hydroelectric project to come up near the village. Voters of two polling booths in Sangarah and a number of villages in the areas to be affected by construction of Renuka dam also boycotted polling. In the Sainj area of Shimla district people of four villages did not cast vote in protest against the shifting of their polling booth to a place, 6 km away.
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Assessing MLAs’ performance will be tough this time
Shimla, May 13 While the election to the Vidhan Sabha was conducted on the basis of old segments, the counting of votes polled in the Lok Sabha election will be as per the new delimited segments. The MLAs of both parties had mainly concentrated in the old areas and put less effort in the areas that were included in their segments subsequently. It would certainly affect the pattern and quantum of lead and upset electoral arithmetic. For instance, the Kumarsain assembly segment represented by Leader of the Opposition Vidya Stokes has been wiped out and a major part of it had been merged into the Theog segment and remaining in the newly created Shimla (rural) segment. The Balsan area of Theog has now become part of the Chopal segment. Similarly, the Tikker area of
Rohru, constituency of former Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, has been shifted to Jubbal
Kotkhai. In Kangra, the Thural segment, represented by Irrigation and Public Health Minister, has been wiped out and areas under it have been merged into Sulah and the newly created Jaisinghpur seat. The Jwalamukhi segment has been transferred from Hamirpur to the Kangra parliamentary constituency, and a major part of the Pragpur segment has been changed into Jaswan and its has been renamed as the Pargpur-Jaswan segment. The remaining areas now represent the newly created Dehra seat. In Sirmaur district, large areas of Shilai have been brought under the Paonta segment, from which some major portions have been shifted to Nahan and
Renuka. In Hamirpur district, Mewa has been renamed as Bhoranj after merging some areas of
Bamsan. |
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BJP, Cong lock horns over hotel raid
Kullu, May 13 The team led by DC-cum-district returning officer M Sudha Devi, Kullu SP KK Indoria and other officials raided the HTDC hotel room occupied by Mahajan at 11.55 pm, but ended up recovering nothing objectionable like cash or liquor. After hours long hot arguments between Mahajan and DC-led team, Congressmen, including young NSUI activists, came out in support of Harsh Mahajan and raised slogans against the BJP and district officials. They sat on dharna on the national highway for half-an-hour in post-midnight hours in protest describing the BJP as repressive
government. Congress spokesperson Vikas Kapur charged that the BJP was on the defensive from day one and suffered humiliation after the party had to shift venue from the Rath Maidan to Bhuntar for the concluding Narendra Modi’s rally on May 11. Harsh Mahajan told The Tribune before leaving from Kullu that he was in deep sleep when he was woken up suddenly due to a loud knock at his hotel room door. “I got up and was shocked to see DC, SP and other officials and policemen entering my room without showing a search warrant or copy of written complaint against me”. Mahajan charged that they have trespassed and created a health problem for him in the post-midnight hours as his blood pressure shot up. “I am a resident and voter of Himachal and was staying in a hotel paying my bills”. Kullu BJP president Ram Singh charged that the Congress had been found violating the poll code. “Mahajan should have left station after campaigning finished, but he was staying on violating CEC norms,” he claimed. On the other hand, M Sudha Devi said they received a verbal complaint around 11.15 pm and verified from the chowkidar whether Mahajan was staying in the room and then they knocked at the door and requested him to leave station immediately as he was not a voter here. “Campaigners cannot stay after the campaign is over as per CEC guidelines,” she added admitting that nothing objectionable was found
in his room. |
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Where none went to vote
Dharamsala, May 13 The army personnel who have been allowed to cast their votes at the place of their posting for the first time, also cast votes for the first time in large numbers near cantonment areas. The army spokesperson at Rising Star Corps at YOL said that a drive was taken out to advise the soldiers to exercise their right to vote. Meanwhile, the residents of Chota and Bara Bhangal villages struck to their call to boycott polls. The official sources confirmed that till 4 pm not even a single voter from the area had cast the vote. There are about 8000 voters in 11 villages of the said areas. The district administration had spent lakhs on carrying the poll staff and material by helicopter in the inhospitable terrain of Bara Bhangal village. The arrangement was made for just 43 voters, however, they did not turn out to poll in protest. The residents of Bara and Chota Bhangal areas that are most remote and declared backward areas of Kangra district have lodged their protest against the declaration of wildlife sanctuary in their area by boycotting polls. Since the life of residents in these hilly terrains is dependent on forest they are alleging that by declaring the wildlife sanctuary the government has made their life more difficult. Interestingly, none of the politicians tried to assuage the feelings of villagers of Chota and Bara Bhangal areas.
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Poll Holiday
Solan, May 13 Enquires revealed that scores of pharmaceutical, textile and cosmetic units based at Jharmajri, Nalagarh, Baddi, Bhud and Malpur did not observe a holiday today. A section of employees told The Tribune that earlier they were asked to observe the day as a holiday in view of the Lok Sabha elections, but later they received telephone calls to report back on duty. The maximum relaxation granted by the particular employer was in the shape of extending the reporting time from the normal 8 am to 10 am. Similarly, a renowned residential school here was also functional today. Deputy Commissioner Amandeep Garg, however, said it being a residential school, mess employees were asked to report on duty in shifts, allowing each of them adequate time to cast vote. Garg confirmed that information about some industrial units operating on the sly had been received. The SP, Baddi, had been directed to register a daily dairy report in the matter, he said. Officials of the Labour Department also had been directed to do the needful as per Section 135(b) of the Representation of People Act. As per its provisions, all establishments are obliged to observe a paid holiday on the day of polling and any violation was punishable with a fine of Rs 500. A section of employees, however, said industrial units cared little to observe the provision as its violation attracted a petty fine. Any protest against the management meant trouble for employees and hence the provision was being flagrantly violated, they added. Managements of a majority of industrial units relaxed morning timings by an hour or two, after which the work at these units went on normally throughout the day. This attitude of the managements of these units denied hundreds of employees their right to vote, especially those living at far-off places from
these units. |
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BSP leader joins BJP
Bilaspur, May 13 He said here today that he had joined the BJP at Hamirpur along with a number of his supporters in presence of Chief Minister PK Dhumal and some prominent BJP leaders and the Chief Minister welcomed him into the party. It may be recalled that Sharma had contested last Assembly election on the BSP ticket. Though he lost his security deposit, he got fourth position. |
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Congress complaint
Shimla, May 13 In the complaint addressed to the chief election commissioner general secretary of the party Kuldeep Rathore stated that Chief Minister P.K.Dhumal, former union minister Shanta Kumar, state BJP chief Jai Ram, health minister Rajiv Bindal and other BJP leaders had flooded the electorate with messages to influence them. |
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Tension in Kangra following youth’s death
Kangra, May 13 According to report, Vishal (22), an accountancy graduate, was on way from his residence at Gurkhari to Kangra town on his motorcycle (HP-40-3964) this morning. Near the Dhauladhar petrol pump on the Dharamsala road some unknown vehicle allegedly hit him. He died on the spot. However, driver of the other vehicle managed to slip from the spot along with the vehicle. Hundreds of people, including relatives of the victim, gathered on the spot and wanted the police to identify the vehicle and the driver and be booked under the law. Police party along with Kangra SDPO OP Jamwal and SHO Pratap Chand arrived at the scene. On police inquiry about identity of the vehicle involved in the accident, the people expressed ignorance and soon after closed their shops and fled away. The mob blocked the Matour-Shimla NH and did not allow the police to take Vishal’s body into possession for a
post-mortem. The people started inquiring from the staff of the petrol pump and other people in a bid to identify the driver and vehicle involved in the accident. Father of the victim Prem Sagar, an HPSEB employee, wanted that the police should trace out the culprit involved in the accident. The SDPO said the mob lifted the blockade and allowed the body to be taken for a post-mortem following an assurance that the culprit would be identified and booked. He said the people made an inquiry at their own level and gave a scooty’s registration number allegedly responsible for the accident. The police was trying to identify the scooty owner. |
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Terror Threat
Kangra, May 13 Kangra District Police Chief Atul Fulzele confirmed that the police received the message from unknown caller and armed police parties were rushed to the area led by Kangra SDPO Omapati Jamwal and combing operation was started. He said the combing operation was still continued in the Birta locality and the Kachiari areas on the outskirts of the town and the link road leading to Dr RP Government Medical College, Tanda. He said it could not be established as yet whether the three suspects were carrying arms or not. The SSP said, “We are taking information seriously and combing operation was immediately initiated and it still continues.” He said the police was informed that they alighted from a private bus and efforts were on to trace the bus as nakas were set up at different places in the district. The SSP denied that there was any intelligence input that terrorists were coming to the district to disturb the
poll process. |
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3 killed, 1 hurt in mishaps
Kangra, May 13 Jawalamukhi SHO Manooj Kumar said two persons were killed, one on the spot and other succumbed to his injuries at the Jawalamukhi hospital this evening, when the tractor on which they were travelling rolled down into a deep gorge at Balogloa today. He said the tractor driver lost control while negotiating a curve and rolled down the hill lock leaving one dead and one injured. Mohinder Singh, a resident of Advani, died on the spot and Suresh Kumar, a resident of Salard, succumbed to his injuries at the Jawalamukhi hospital this evening. The tractor was so badly destroyed that even registration number could not be traced out. In another accident, Suresh Kuma of Nadaun was killed and his son Akshay injured when the motorcycle (HP55-6861) on which they were travelling met with an accident with an Alto (HP54-9222) at Chamuka last evening. |
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Two bring laurels to school
Bilaspur, May 13 Principal Yash Pal Sharma said here today that Nikhil Sharma was fifth in the merit list with 423 marks out of 500 in commerce while Navin Kumar was fourth in the state merit list in auditing and accounting (vocational). Sharma said even in class XI annual exam, last year, Nikhil Sharma had got eighth position in the state merit list but credit could not be given to him at the time of declaration of result as his result showed RL due to some technical reasons on part of the board. However, the error was corrected later.
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Skeletal remains extricated
Bilaspur, May 13 Reports said the body was first seen by students who were heading towards their school and they informed a woman in the village who further informed the police about its location. The body cannot be identified but it is the body of a man between the age group of 35-40 years and is wearing jeans and yellow
t-shirt. — OC |
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