50-55% turnout for final phase

MANDATE 2004

The fourth and final phase of the Lok Sabha elections yesterday saw an estimated 50-55 per cent turnout in 182 seats in 16 states and Union territories. Poll-related violence claimed four lives, two each in Punjab and West Bengal, and injured several others.

In West Bengal, two persons were killed in bomb blasts and 26 others injured in political clashes and bomb throwing incidents.

In Punjab, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Jagpal Singh Sohali was shot dead near a polling booth in Sohali village in Ludhiana. Another man, said to be a Congress activist, was stabbed to death following a scuffle between rival groups in Tarn Taran.

In the Doda and Udhampur districts of Jammu and Kashmir, militants tried to disrupt polling by firing and throwing grenades from hill tops at three polling stations, injuring a voter and a BSF personnel. Congress and BJP workers clashed at Indore in Madhya Pradesh. Sporadic violence was also reported from Haryana.

Tamil Nadu Minister Inbatamizhan and AIADMK and MDMK nominees for the Sivakasi Lok Sabha constituency were injured in clashes between the workers of the two parties in Virudhunagar district today.

The conclusion of the elections was also marred by the Election Commission's announcement that polling in Chhapra would be countermanded.

Repolling in the constituency will take place on May 31, following complaints by Civil Aviation Minister and BJP candidate Rajiv Pratap Rudy that his rival Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Laloo Yadav rigged the elections.

As law and order is a state subject, the countermanding of the polls will strengthen the case of Janata Dal (United) leader and Defence Minister George Fernandes and others for the imposition of President's Rule in Bihar.

Laloo yesterday denounced the Election Commission's decision and accused Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Deputy Prime Minister LK Advani of having masterminded the poll watchdog's action.

Counting of votes for all the 543 Lok Sabha seats for which elections began on April 20 would be taken up on Thursday and the results are expected the same day.

Except for Andhra Pradesh, where counting will take place tomorrow because it is a constitutional requirement, the results of the Assembly elections in Sikkim, Karnataka and Orissa will be declared on Thursday.

Among the 12 states, West Bengal, where 42 seats are up for grabs, registered the highest turnout of 65-70 per cent. The highest turnout was registered in the Union territory of Lakshadweep (72 percent).

The lowest voting among the states was in Madhya Pradesh (42-45 per cent) and Jammu and Kashmir (44 percent). The lowest turnout among Union territories was in Chandigarh (50-55 per cent).

The polling in all the four phases has been by and large peaceful.

Poll-related violence claimed 37 lives, mainly in Bihar, Jharkhand, Jammu and Kashmir, West Bengal and Punjab.

The final round had the largest number of seats decided the electoral fate of 2,132 candidates.