Moderate to brisk polling in final phase of LS polls 1

May 13, 2009 - PRLog -- New Delhi, May 13: Moderate to heavy polling is taking place in the 86 Lok Sabha constituencies spread across seven states and two union territories that are voting on Wednesday.

Til 1300 hrs IST the voting percentage in all the states and union territories going to polls was as follows: Punjab 38.36 per cent, Chandigarh 39 per cent, Uttrakhand 36 per cent, Himachal Pradesh 35 per cent, Puducherry 36.51 per cent, Tamil Nadu 40 per cent, West Bengal 43 per cent, Jammu and Kashmir 24.94 per cent and Uttar Pradesh 32.29 per cent.

There are a total of 1,432 candidates including 93 women in the fray and close to 10.78 crore voters in the 86 seats that are voting on Wednesday in the fifth and final phase of 15th Lok Sabha elections.

Two scribes of private TV channels were injured when they were allegedly attacked by activists of ruling Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) at Duneke village on the outskirts of Punjab's Moga town when they recorded footage of party workers carrying weapons in vehicles, police sources said.

One person was killed early Wednesday morning in a clash between Trinamool Congress activists and Communist Party of India-Marxist cadre at Baliguri on the outskirts of Kolkata, before the polling began.

Prominent candidates

Prominent candidates in the fray include Home Minister P Chidambaram, DMK's T R Baalu, Dayanidhi Maran and M K Azhagiri, Congress' Mohammad Azharuddin, BJP's Maneka and Varun Gandhi and Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, MDMK's Vaiko and SP's Jaya Prada.

Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chaterjee, CPI(M) leader Brinda Karat, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi and AIADMK chief J Jayalalithaa were among the early voters.

Cine star-turned-politician Jaya Prada, south Indian superstar Rajinikanth, music composer AR Rahman and DMK leader MK Stalin are among others who exercised their franchise.

Voting is underway in 86 constituencies spread across seven states and two Union Territories in this phase. A total of 1,432 candidates are contesting.

Besides all 39 seats in Tamil Nadu, elections are being held to four seats in Himachal Pradesh, two in Jammu and Kashmir, nine in Punjab, 14 in Uttar Pradesh, 11 in West Bengal, five in Uttarakhand and the lone one seat each in both Chandigarh and Puducherry.

Over 10.78 crore voters are eligible to exercise their franchise across 1.21 lakh booths through EVMs.

Congress' Mani Shankar Aiyar, Sajjad Gani Lone of People's Conference, BJP's Vinod Khanna and Navjot Singh Sidhu are among other prominent faces in this round.

Polling has been completed to 457 Lok Sabha seats since the exercise began on April 16. Results will be out on May 16.

The Lok Sabha has 545 members, but elections are held to 543 seats as two members are nominated from the Anglo-Indian community.

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Besides all 39 seats in Tamil Nadu, elections are being held to four seats in Himachal Pradesh, two in Jammu and Kashmir, nine in Punjab, 14 in Uttar Pradesh, 11 in West Bengal, five in Uttarakhand and the lone one seat each in both Chandigarh and Puducherry.