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53 per cent vote in violence-hit poll

After two peaceful rounds of polling for the Lok Sabha and three state assemblies, the third phase today was marred by large-scale violence that claimed 41 lives, 33 in Bihar alone.

Fifty-three per cent of more than 90 million voters exercised their franchise in the five states that went to the polls today. Andhra Pradesh recorded the highest (61 per cent), followed by Bihar (57 per cent), Uttar Pradesh (51 per cent) and Madhya Pradesh (45 per cent).

In Baramulla constituency in Jammu and Kashmir, 27 per cent polling was recorded despite threats from terrorists and a boycott call by the secessionist All-Parties Hurriyat [Freedom] Conference.

Giving the voting figures at a press conference, Chief Election Commissioner Manohar Singh Gill said: "It was an anxious day. We have now entered the harder part of the election process. The first two phases had gone extremely well. There has been violence in the third phase."

Dr Gill said 32 people were killed in poll-related violence, 29 of them in Bihar, two in Jammu and Kashmir, and one in Andhra Pradesh.

But reports from Bihar, Baramulla and Hyderabad put the poll-related toll since last night at 33, seven and one, respectively -- 41 in all. Thirty-one of those killed were security personnel -- 29 in Bihar and two in Kashmir.

Polling was conducted in south Bihar and the Telangana region of Andhra Pradesh despite a boycott called by Naxalite outfits, and 61 per cent of the 17.5 million voters cast their votes. Twelve of the 14 Lok Sabha constituencies involved in the final round of polling in the state are in Naxalite-infested Telangana.

Dr Gill said that while polling was marred by violence in Bihar and to some extent in Andhra Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir, it passed off peacefully in Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.

Attributing the violence to the "larger political, ideological and social pushes and pulls" in the country, he hoped that "our political masters will find ways to resolve this".

In an unprecedented gesture, Gill, Election Commissioner J M Lyngdoh and other senior officials as well as reporters who were covering the press conference observed a minute's silence to pay homage to the poll and security personnel killed on duty.

Dr Gill said a repoll is likely to be ordered in 60 to 70 booths in Andhra Pradesh and 10 to 15 in Madhya Pradesh.

A total of 76 constituencies in five states and 97 assembly constituencies in Andhra Pradesh went to the polls today.

In Uttar Pradesh, where 30 of the 85 seats went to the polls, including the notorious 'gun belt', the process was by and large peaceful. Almost 51 per cent of the 36.22 million voters exercised their franchise.

Polling was disrupted in at least 10 villages in Robertsganj (reserved) constituency owing to the sudden rise of water level in the Sone river. Twelve persons, including Samajwadi Party candidate Dharam Raj Patel of Phulpur constituency, were injured in clashes between SP and BJP candidates at Haripur polling centre where voting was suspended.

The 12 Lok Sabha constituencies in Madhya Pradesh that went to the polls today saw an average 45 per cent of the 14.80 million voters cast their ballot. Barring two incidents of snatching of ballots and marked voters' lists in Rewa, no untoward incident was reported.

Today's polling will decide the fates of several prominent politicians, including Union minister Murli Manohar Joshi (Allahabad), former defence minister and Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav (Kannauj), Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha (Hazaribagh), Congress spokesman Ajit Jogi (Shahdol), and former Union ministers Saifuddin Soz (Baramulla), Sudini Jaipal Reddy (Miryalguda) and Parvataneni Upendra (Vijayawada).

A total of 847 candidates for the Lok Sabha were in the fray today -- 180 in Andhra Pradesh (14 seats), 108 in Bihar (19), 10 in Jammu and Kashmir (1), 123 in Madhya Pradesh (12) and 426 in Uttar Pradesh (30).

Today's voting in Andhra Pradesh completes the Lok Sabha poll in all but one (Narasaraopet) of its 42 constituencies. In Narasaraopet, polling was postponed to October 3 in the wake of violent incidents.

In simultaneous assembly polls, 97 segments went to the polls in Andhra Pradesh today. Voting in 189 seats of the total 294 had already taken place. Seven seats will go to the polls on October 3 while the dates for the Sirpur seat will be announced later.

UNI

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