ELECTIONS

Phase II sees 55-60% polling, 9 dead

By Onkar Singh in New Delhi
April 27, 2004

The second phase of the Lok Sabha election saw around 55-60% voting on Monday, according to Election Commission spokesman A N Jha.

"These are tentative figures or projections on the basis of information available to us at 5pm. The actual poll figures will be complied after the commission gets reports from all the returning officers," he said.

Around 17.5 crore people were eligible to vote in the 136 constituencies where elections were held.

Andhra Pradesh recorded the highest turnout of 68-70% while Jammu and Kashmir's Srinagar-Badgam constituency registered the lowest polling of 21%.

The turnout in Assam was the second highest (65-70%), followed by Orissa (65%), Karnataka (55-60%), Maharashtra, Bihar, Jharkhand, Goa, Manipur (all 55%) and Uttar Pradesh (45-50%).

Barring sporadic violence in which nine persons were killed, the polling was by and large peaceful, the commission said.

The commission also decided to order re-poll in 60-65 booths in Andhra Pradesh, 5-7 in Karnataka, 4 each in Manipur and Orissa, and 15 in Uttar Pradesh.

"Other re-polling will be ordered later after getting full reports from the concerned officers and observers. The re-polling will take place on April 28," Jha said.

Polling was also held for the second and final phase of assembly elections in 147 of the 294 seats in AP, 104 of the 224 seats in Karnataka and 70 of the 147 seats in Orissa.

With inputs from PTI

Onkar Singh in New Delhi
NewsBusinessMoviesSportsCricketGet AheadDiscussionLabsMyPageVideosCompany Email