India Votes-IV

An estimated 50 to 55 per cent of over 25 crore votersexercised their franchise in the final leg of the Lok Sabha elections. Thepolling in the fourth and final phase covered remaining 182 of the 543 seatsacross 16 States and Union Territories amidst sporadic violence which claimedfive lives and injured several others.

Among the 12 States, West Bengal, where 42 seats are upfor grabs, registered the highest turnout of 65 to 70 per cent. The highestturnout was registered in the Union Territory of Lakshadweep (72 per cent).

The lowest voting among the States was in MadhyaPradesh (42 to 45) and Jammu and Kashmir (44 per cent).

The lowest turnout among Union Territories was inChandigarh (50 to 55 per cent).

Assam: Stray incidents were reported in theSilchar Lok Sabha constituency where over 60 per cent electorate cast theirvotes to seal the fate of 11 candidates, including former Union MinistersSantosh Mohan Deb of the Congress and Kabindra Purkayashtha of the BJP. 

Delhi: An estimated 46.85 per cent of 87.6 lakh electorate exercised their franchise inthe seven Lok Sabha seats without any untoward incident being reported from anywhere.

Delhi Sadar constituency recorded the highest turnout of54 per cent followed by Chandni Chowk with 52 per cent. Karol Bagh witnessed 48 per centwhile South Delhi and Outer Delhi saw a voter turnout of nearly 46 per centeach. New Delhi witnessed the lowest turnout of 45 per cent.

In the bye-election to the Moti Nagar Assembly constituency, a turnout of 62per cent was witnessed. The seat had fallen vacant after Madan Lal Khurana wasappointed Rajasthan Governor in January.

Himachal Pradesh: An estimated 60 per centvoters cast their ballot to decide the fate of 23 candidates for four Lok Sabhaseats in the hill state where the electoral process was peaceful andincident-free

The Mandi constituency recorded heavy polling of 65 per cent while Shimla(reserve) constituency recorded a low polling of 50 to 53 per cent. The Kangra Parliamentaryconstituency and adjoining Hamirpur constituency recorded about 57 to 61 percent polling.

Jammu and Kashmir: An estimated 50.68 percent voters exercised their franchise in the Ladakh and Udhampur Parliamentaryconstituencies, which polled 41.62 per cent and 59.74 per cent votesrespectively.

Despite violence by militants to sabotage polls, there was an increase in thevoter turnout this time in Udhampur than in the 1999 Lok Sabha election figuresof 38.97 per cent. But polling in Ladakh registered a fall compared to 1999 whenit was 81.17 per cent.

Kerala: 55-58 per cent polling was witnessed for the 20 Lok Sabhaseats and the crucial Assembly bye-poll from Wadakkancherry.

As in the past, the major fight is between the Congress-led UDF and the CPI-Mcontrolled LDF, but the BJP this time has succeeded in making it a three-horserace in the state capital.

In 1999, the UDF had won 11 seats (9 Congress, two Muslim League and oneKerala Congress-M) and the LDF nine (eight CPI-M and one Kerala Congress).

Lakshadweep: This constituency, from whereDeputy Speaker of the dissolved Lok Sabha P.M. Sayeed, is contesting, recorded 72per cent polling.

Sayeed, who is contesting for a record 11th term, is pitted against JanataDal (United) candidate Pookunhi Koya.

Madhya Pradesh: An estimated 45 to 50 per centof the 2.32 crore electorate cast their ballot in the final phase elections for17 constituencies which witnessed sporadic violence, rigging and damage to electronicvoting machines.

Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh: An estimated 55per cent turnout was recorded in the two States and the UT where polling wasmarred by sporadic violence that claimed two lives in Punjab and allegations ofbooth capturing.

While Haryana recorded around 58 per cent voterturnout, it was 55 per cent in Punjab and 45 per cent in Chandigarh.

Polling was held for 13 LS seats in Punjab, 10 inHaryana and one in Chandigarh. The fate of 319 contestants were sealed by 2.94electorate in Punjab (142), Haryana (160) and Chandigarh (17).

Jagpal Singh Sohali, who recently joined Parkash SinghBadal's SAD after deserting Simranjit Singh Mann's faction, was shot dead byunidentified persons in Sohali village in Ludhiana constituency while he wasgoing to cast his vote.

A Congress worker was stabbed to death in village Gheriin Tarn Taran constituency allegedly by SAD activists following a scufflebetween supporters of the two groups.

Sikkim: An estimated 65 to 70 per cent polling was recorded at the 349 polling stationsspread across the four districts where simultaneous elections to 32 Assemblyconstituencies and lone Lok Sabha seat were held.

An over 2.5 lakh strong electorate decided the fate of 91 Assemblycandidates, prominent among them being the Chief Minister and SDF presidentPawan Chamling and his bete noire Nar Bahadur Bhandari of the Congress, who areseeking their fifth and seventh entries into the State Legislature respectively.

Besides the 91 candidates, voters also exercised their franchise to electtheir representative for the lone Lok Sabha seat from a choice of fourcandidates -- Biraj Adhikari of the Congress, Nakul Das Rai of the SDF, RajendraUpreti of the SSP and Tara Man Pradhan of the SHRP.

Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry: Polling in all the39 Lok Sabha seats in the State and the lone constituency in neighbouring UTpassed off peacefully without any major incident, with an estimated 55 to 60 percent of 4.72 crore voters exercised their franchise.

Uttar Pradesh:

Amid stray violence in which a Bahujan Samaj Partysupporter was killed, over 48 per cent of the electorate cast votes for 18 LokSabha seats.

A BSP supporter was killed in a group clash in Sabdalpur village in Sahranpur district, a Home Department spokesman said.

Clashes between rival supporters were also witnessed inBadaun as supporters of D.P. Yadav (Rashtriya Parivartan Dal), who contested theSambhal Lok Sabha seat, allegedly fired in the air but no one was injured.

Uttaranchal: Polling was between 55 to 60 per cent for the five LokSabha seats in the state.

On four of the seats -- Pauri Garhwal, Tehri, Almora and Nainital -- there isa straight contest between the Congress and BJP while in Hardwar (reserved), thefight is multi-cornered in which the Samajwadi Party and BSP are also in thereckoning.

West Bengal: About 70 per cent polling wasrecorded in the elections to 42 seats, which was marked by stray incidents ofviolence in which two persons were killed and 26 injured.

Police said one person, identified as Ghulam Murtaza, died when bombs he wasmaking, went off, at Domkal in Murshidabad district early this morning.

A report from West Midnapore district quoting District Magistrate ChandanSinha said one person was killed and another injured as bombs they weremanufacturing exploded at Parihati area under Jhargram constituency.

PTI