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Six killed in Ahmedabad civic poll violence

At least six people were killed and 18 others injured, one of them seriously, when two warring groups clashed over alleged 'bogus' voting in the on-going municipal corporation election in the sensitive Dariapur area of Ahmedabad on Sunday afternoon, according to Gujarat Food and Civil Supplies Minister Ashok Bhatt.

Out of the six, three died due to injuries sustained after being stabbed while the rest died due to bullet injuries. It was yet to be ascertained whether the victims were killed due to police action following the group clashes or otherwise, Bhatt said.

He said that the trouble erupted around 1230 hours (IST) when activists of the Congress party and that of independents clashed over casting of bogus votes. In the melee, some miscreants even pelted stones at the police station.

He said miscreants also looted several shops in the area.

Meanwhile, trouble started in Wadaj area as several anti-social elements attempted to attack the police station in the area.

An indefinite curfew was clamped in Dariapur area soon after the violence and the polling process came to a standstill. Tension also prevailed in the adjoining sensitive areas. The incident affected the turnout of voters.

According to state election commission sources, an estimated 20 per cent voters turned out to exercise their votes till noon. Sources said that Jamnagar Municipal Corporation reported the maximum turn out of 22 per cent, while the lowest was reported in Surat where only 12 per cent voters had exercised their franchise.

In Ahmedabad, Vadodara and Rajkot municipal corporations, the voter turn out was 11, 16, and 15 per cent respectively. In Morvi, Padra and Una municipalities, the polling percentage was 33, 16 and 22 respectively.

UNI

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