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Repoll ordered in 60 booths in AP

An estimated 54.66 per cent of the 161 million voters cast their vote to fill 145 Lok Sabha and 343 assembly seats in 16 states and Union territories while four people were killed in Andhra Pradesh in the violence marred first phase of the Lok Sabha and assembly elections today.

Chief Election Commissioner M S Gill putting the national average at 55 per cent, told newsmen that polling was ''overall peaceful and very satisfactory''.

Repoll has been ordered in 60 booths in Andhra Pradesh and six booths in Andaman and Nicobar Islands, he added. Bellary, where Congress president Sonia Gandhi is making her electoral debut against Sushma Swaraj of the BJP, recorded 60 per cent polling.

Giving the state-wise details, Gill said Andhra Pradesh recorded 65 per cent, Karnataka (63), Maharashtra (60), Haryana (62), Punjab (55), Rajasthan (55), Goa (45) and Gujarat (40), Jammu and Kashmir (23 per cent-- Leh 70 per cent).

MAHARASHTRA

Polling for the first phase of simultaneous polls ended on a peaceful note at 1700 hrs today with approximately 55 per cent of the electorate casting their votes.

Involved in the first phase were 24 out of the total 48 Lok Sabha constituencies and 144 out the total 288 assembly constituencies. With the completion of the first phase of polling, the fate of 130 candidates for the Lok Sabha and 1059 for the assembly were sealed in the ballot boxes.

Prominent among them for the Lok Sabha are former Lok Sabha speaker Shivraj Patil (Latur), AICC general secretary Sushil Kumar Shinde (Solapur), former Union minister of state for sports Mukul Wasnik (Buldhana), newspaper owner Banwarilal Purohit (Ramtek), NCP spokesperson Prafulla Patel (Chimur), former state minister Dr Shrikant Jichkar (Bhandara), NCP leader Datta Meghe and former MPCC president Prabha Rao (both Wardha) for the state legislative assembly, deputy chief minister and chief ministerial aspirant Gopinath Munde (Renapur), former chief ministers Sudhakarrao Naik (Pusad) and Shivajirao Patil Nilangekar (Nilanga), state co-operation minister Jaiprakash Mundada (Basmath), finance minister Mahadeorao Shivankar (Amgaon), irrigation minister Eknath Khadse (Edlabad).

The 24 parliamentary constituencies which went to polls today were -- Dhule, Nandurbar, Erandol, Jalgaon, Buldhana, Akola, Washim, Amravati, Ramtek, Nagpur, Bhandara, Chimur, Chandrapur, Wardha, Yavatmal, Hingoli, Nanded, Parbhani, Beed, Latur, Osmanabad, Solapur, Pandharpur and Sangli.

According to reports from Nagpur, voters of four villages -- Marartoli, Lonara, Nandalbar and Talegaon -- in Bhandara Lok Sabha constituency boycotted polling. The reason for the boycott could not be immediately known.

The remaining 24 Lok Sabha including six in Bombay and two in neighbouring Thane, six in western Maharashtra, Jalna and Aurangabad in Marathwada, three in Konkan and Pune each and their 144 assembly constituencies falling under them will go to poll in the second phase on September 11.

HARYANA

An estimated 60 to 65 per cent of over eleven million voters exercised their franchise for ten parliamentary seats in the first phase of the Lok Sabha poll in Haryana today. The polling passed off peacefully throughout the state, according to reports received at the state election headquarters this evening.

Polling began on a dull note at 0700 hrs in the morning and a few voters turned up during the first hour. It picked up as the day advanced. Polling became brisk around noon but slumped in the afternoon following rain at some places in the state. Young voters, both boys and girls, turned up in larger numbers than elderly voters. At some polling stations women voters outnumbered men. Long queues were seen at some polling stations when the polling became brisk. Voters queued up and waited for their turn to cast their votes.

ANDHRA PRADESH

At least five people were killed, including four in police firing as violent clashes between ruling Telugu Desam Party and Congress activists, booth-capturing and rigging marred the first phase of polling in 84 assembly and 12 Lok Sabha constituencies in Andhra Pradesh, which recorded a voter turnout of about 65 per cent today.

The police said three TDP activists and a Congress worker were killed when police opened fire on the two warring groups, which clashed hurling bombs at each other for more than two hours at Porumammidla village in Badvel assembly constituency of the faction-ridden Cuddapah district. The police opened fire after firing in the air proved futile.

A deputy superintendent of police and four others were injured in the violence. Minor irrigation minister B Veera Reddy is the Telugu Desam candidate from Badvel while former MLA Dr Sivaramakrishna Rao is the Congress nominee.

In another incident in the same district, a ruling TDP agent, Bali Reddy was killed in a bomb attack allegedly by Congress activists at Ankareddypalli just before the commencement of polling in Kamalapuram assembly constituency.

PUNJAB

An estimated 55 per cent of over 15.6 million voters cast their votes for 13 parliamentary seats in the first phase of Lok Sabha poll in Punjab today.

Polling by and large passed off peacefully barring some stray incidents of violence, including clashes among supporters of contesting candidates. Polling began on a dull note as the booths opened at 0700 hrs in the morning. It picked up later as the day advanced. Rain in some parts of the state affected the turnout in the later part of the day. Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Hoshiarpur, Patiala and Kapurthala had been lashed by rains since this afternoon, adversely affecting polling. Women voters outnumbered men in some polling stations. Young voters, both boys and girls, displayed greater enthusiasm than elderly voters at many polling stations. Electronic Voting Machines were installed in Patiala, Faridkot and Tarn Taran parliamentary constituencies for the first time in the state.

In all, 120 candidates were in the electoral arena in the state to try their fortune. Prominent among those whose electoral fortunes were sealed in ballot boxed today included Union Food Minister Surjit Singh Barnala and Union Minister of State for Industries Sukhbir Singh Badal, son of chief minister Parkash Singh Badal (both Shiromani Akali Dal), former Union ministers R L Bhatia and Sukhbans Kaur Bhinder (both Congress), cinestar-turned-politician Vinod Khanna and Daya Singh Sodhi (both BJP), Simranjit Singh Mann (Akali Dal-Amritsar) and Prem Singh Chandumajra of Sarv Hind Shiromani Akali Dal (SHSAD).

GUJARAT

An estimated 35 per cent voters exercised their franchise in the 26 Lok Sabha constituencies in Gujarat till 1600 hours as polling picked up in the last hours during the first phase of polling in the state today. According to reports, no untoward incidents took place anywhere in Gujarat and polling progressed peacefully, amid tight security measures, especially in Kutch and Banaskantha districts bordering Pakistan.

Gujarat witnessed an incident-free poll after a long time. A UNI report from Jamnagar said only 30 per cent votes had been cast until 1600 hours. Three nonagenarian women, Bachchiben (91), Maniben (95) and Premiben (96) also exercised their franchise at Vania village in the constituency.

In Kutch, a report from Bhuj said about 30 per cent voters had cast their vote until 1500 hours. Maximum voting was reported in the Mehsana constituency where 35 per cent voters had turned up until 1500 hours while the minimum of 28 per cent cast their vote in the Patan constituency. A UNI report from Vadodara said officials seized five vehicles at Jetpur and one at Armoda, Chhotaudepur, for transporting voters.

KARNATAKA

An estimated 60 to 65 per cent of the 19.7 million voters exercised their franchise as the first phase of polling in 15 parliamentary and 115 assembly constituencies in Karnataka ended peacefully today, barring stray incidents.

Polling was brisk to heavy in most of the constituencies in the eastern part of the state. In two booths in Afzalpur assembly constituency repoll is likely to be ordered due to malpractices, according to reports.

Barring stray incidents of assault and impersonation, polling in the state was by and large peaceful. Tension prevailed in the communally sensitive toy town of Chennapatna, in Bangalore Rural district, after the poll process was allegedly disturbed in two booths in the Chennapatna assembly constituency.

Official sources told UNI that additional reinforcements had been rushed to the town, which was about 60 km from Bangalore. The electoral fortunes of Congress president Sonia Gandhi, Bharatiya Janata Party leader Sushma Swaraj and 70 other candidates seeking election to the Lok Sabha were decided with the completion of the first phase of polling.

Other prominent candidates included Civil Aviation Minister Ananthkumar (Bangalore South) and former Union ministers C K Jaffer Sharief (Bangalore North), M V Chandrashekara Murthy (Kanakapura) and R L Jalappa (Chikballapura).

The fate of 716 candidates for the assembly elections, including Chief Minister J H Patel (Channagiri), former speaker Ramesh Kumar (Srinivaspura), Janata Dal-United state unit president C Byre Gowda (Vemgal) and leader of the opposition in the dissolved assembly Mallikarjuna Kharge (Gurmitkal) was also sealed today.

Polling in five assembly constituencies had been postponed to October 3 by the Election Commission.

The reports said polling began on a sedate note in most of the constituencies and gradually gained momentum to cross the 60 percentage mark. Though the authorities feared a drop in the poll percentage because of monsoon, the rains did not affect the poll process.

The high profile Bellary constituency, where Sonia Gandhi and Sushma Swaraj are clashing, recorded 60 per cent voting. The percentage of voting was 60 per cent in all the constituencies.

A report from Chitradurga said Central Silk Board chairman H Ekantaiah, himself a candidate, was allegedly assaulted by a group of people when he tried to campaign in Buranajarappa village in Chitradurga constituency. He has demanded a repoll in two booths. Reports of poll material being tampered had also come from Sanehalli and Aralikatte in Chitradurga. A Gulbarga report said repoll has been recommended in two booths in Afzalpur. In one booth, ballot papers of another constituency had been received, while in another, a woman ran away with ballot papers. However, a final decision has not been announced.

GOA

An estimated 40-45 per cent voters out of over nine lakh exercised their franchise in today's Lok Sabha poll for two seats of Panaji and Mormugao, the polling for which commenced here at 1700 hrs today. Polling was peaceful and orderly, R S Sahaye, director general of police, said and added that utmost care was taken to see that internal and external threats did not harm the poll process.

The ten-hour long polling process which commenced in the midst of an intense wet spell -- which are a usual affair before the Ganesh festival -- picked up gradually in the afternoon, when there was respite from the rains. Chief electoral officer Kewal Sharma said the electronic voting machines worked very well for the second time in the entire state. The turnout of women was much less all over which was perhaps an all-time low turnout in recent years.

UNI team

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