NEW DELHI: A little over half of the 200 million voters braved Monday heat and rain, tight security measures and killers, booth hijackers and simple Ennui to exercise their franchise and return 204 representatives to the Lok Sabha.
The votes deciding the fortune among others of prime ministers in waiting, V.P.Singh, L K Advani and AB Vajpayee will be counted after the poll is taken in 303 more constituencies in two rounds on Thursday and Sunday.
At least 56 people were killed during the day long roll Monday. Repolls have ber ordered in more than1,000 stations mostly in Bihar. Seventeen died in Meerut (Uttar Pradesh) which is now under a curfew enforced by the army after widespread arson and looting. A child was killed in an exchange of fire between two groups in Bulandshahr also in UP nine poll casualties were in Jechanabad, Muzaffarpur and Sheohar constituencies of Bihar. Four died in Narasaraopet in Andhra Pradesh when police opened fire to disperse clashing Telugu Desam and Congress-I workers.
Attempts at booth capturing were made in some 500 polling stations but the miscreants succeeded in hijacking ballot papers in only 40 of the booths. Here a fresh poll will be taken on Wednesday.
Although several factors including fear were responsible for the voter turnout to fall below the previous average of 65%, it was only in 15 constituencies that violence and booth capturing actually took place Monday. Continued on Page 8 Moderate polling has been reported for West Bengal and Haryana assemblies and for about half of the seats in the Uttar Pradesh Vidhan Sabha involving 90 million voters.
The election commission is likely to order repoll in some more booths after complaints of capture are verified,
Complaints of booth capturing were reported, despite the tightest ever security for any election and order to shoot hijackers at sight, from Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh and Haryana.
T N Seshan, chief election commissioner, said in New Delhi that certain communities were not able to vote in violence-hit Varanask Group clashes took place in Meerut. Violence and irregularities took place in Bulandshahr.
Army was called out in Meerut and Bulandshahr. Other affected areas were Pratapagarh, Etawah, Muzzaffarnagar and Baghpat in U.P., Purnea, Patna, Arrah, Chapra, Ranchi and Siwan in Bihar.
The largest number of re-polls was ordered in Chapra constituency in Bihar, Repolis have been ordered at some of the polling booths in Siwan and Purnca (Bihar) and Asansol, (West Bengal)
Over 55% polling was recorded in the national capital as weather conditions improved with a nearly morning shower and overcast skies.
Militants have killed six and injured 60 over the last three days in New Delhi where under repeated red alerts the police have given extra protection to candidates and mounted a massive security operation covering the polling booths. ‘
Lakshadweep reported the highest percentage of 80% polling.
West Bengal recorded second highest polling of 20% in simultaneous elections to 42 Lok Sabha and 294 assembly seats. There were however stray incidents of violence and police firing in this CPI-M ruled state. Police fired some rounds in four places in Calcutta to disperse groups clashing near polling booths.
Himachal Pradesh was incident free as was Sikkim,
Four polling booths were attacked in Madhya Pradesh constituency of Sarguja. In Rajasthan, booth capturing was reported in Sawai Madhopur Bharatpur and there were some scuffles in Jaipur.
Chandigarh and Andaman Nicobar Islands both reported 60% turnout.
Article extracted from this publication >> May 24, 1991
