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51% of 144.4m voters cast ballots

NEW DELHI: Moderate to brisk polling was recorded in the third phase of Indian elections for 107 seats spread over nine states and two centrally administered territories. After Thursday’s polling, the election process was completed in 372 constituencies out of total of 543 parliamentary seats. Overall 51 percent electorate out of 144.4 million voters came out to vote with north Indian states again recording low turn out. Amongst 1,567 candidates whose fortunes were locked in electronic voting machines in this phase included Congress President Sonia Gandhi, BJP prime ministerial candidate LK Advani, former prime minister HD Deve Gowda, JD-U chief Sharad Yadav, former Karnataka chief minister S Bangarappa and union ministers Sriprakash Jaiswal and Jyotiraditya Scindia. Those in fray also included 101 women candidates. Despite appeals by the Election Commission (EC) and political leaders voters are showing less enthusiasm to go to polling stations. Admitting the lack of enthusiasm particularly in the north-Indian Hindi belt, BJP Vice President M Venkiah Naidu blamed scorching heat and said the ideal time for holding elections in India was February. The 14 constituencies in West Bengal recorded the highest turnout of 64 percent followed by Karnataka (57), Gujarat (50) and Maharashtra (45 percent). The turnout in Mumbai was estimated at 45 percent as the metropolis witnessed the first election six months after the November 26 terror attacks. The lowest turnout of 25 percent was in Anantnag constituency in Jammu and Kashmir where pro-freedom groups had given a poll boycott call. In the Gir forest area of Junagardh district, a polling booth was set for a single voter Guru Bharat Das Kurup who was received at polling station by two polling staff. The polling was mostly peaceful baring few incidents. As soon as the polling began, Maoists exploded a landmine near a booth at Biramdih in West Bengal’s Purulia district, injuring two Central paramilitary force jawans. Three policemen were injured when supporters of two rival candidates clashed and indulged in stone throwing, leading police to open fire in the air to quell them at a booth in Mongra in Bihar’s Katihar district. iftikhar gilani

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