First phase sees 50-55% polling

MANDATE 2004

Sporadic violence in several states leaves 20 dead.

The first phase of the Lok Sabha elections today drew a turnout of an estimated 50-55 per cent of the 175 million electorate in 140 constituencies spread over 13 states and three Union territories. Sporadic violence by militants and Naxalites left 20 people, including a duty magistrate, a freelance journalist and seven Naxalites, dead.

The Union territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli recorded the highest voting with around 65-70 per cent, followed by Daman and Diu (60-65 per cent), Assam (60 per cent), and Bihar, Karnataka and Mizoram (55-60 per cent each).

In Andhra Pradesh, a state where Lok Sabha and Assembly elections are being held simultaneously, the first phase of polling recorded 55 per cent turnout.

Jammu and Baramulla constituencies in Jammu and Kashmir witnessed a turnout of around 45 per cent voters despite militants' threat and a poll boycott call by separatists. 

The lowest turnout of 40-45 per cent marked the polling in 24 of the 48 Lok Sabha constituencies in Maharashtra.

Deputy Prime Minister LK Advani, External Affairs Minister Yashwant Sinha, former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda, Union ministers Nitish Kumar, Jual Oram, Kashiram Rana and Harin Pathak, Ajit Jogi, were among the 1,100 candidates in the fray for the first of the five-phased elections to the Lok Sabha. Voting was also held in 344 Assembly seats in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Orissa.

Manipur, Jharkhand, Gujarat, Orissa and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands saw a voter turnout between 45 and 50 per cent.

Around 50 per cent of the electorate cast their votes in Chhattisgarh, while Meghalaya witnessed between 50 and 55 per cent polling.

The Election Commission said the polling was by and large peaceful but there was largescale violence in Manipur, where repolling would has to be held in 103 polling stations, and there were reports of electronic voting machines being snatched at various places. Polling parties could not reach on time in 70 polling stations because of inclement weather and landslides.

Militants attacked a number of polling booths in Baramulla killing four persons, including a freelance journalist Kumar Bharti and two security personnel.

Reports of violence also came in from Manipur, Bihar, Gujarat, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand, where a duty magistrate was killed when Naxalites triggered a landmine blast in a village in Dhanbad. One ultra was killed in an encounter with security personnel in a separate incident in Jharkhand.  Four para-military personnel were killed in Manipur and two RJD supporters in Nawada district of Bihar. Six Naxalites were killed in encounters in Chhattisgarh.

Two RJD supporters and a constable were killed and scores others, including three extremists, suffered injuries in several incidents in Bihar.