New Delhi, April 30 (IANS) Some 83 million voted in 89 Lok Sabha constituencies across India Wednesday, a day an FIR was slapped against BJP's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi for showing off his party symbol close to a polling booth.
Braving the scorching summer, about 60 percent of the 139 million electorate trooped to over 150,000 polling stations in seven states and two union territories to pick 89 MPs from among 1,200 candidates including Congress president Sonia Gandhi (Rae Bareli), BJP president Rajnath Singh (Lucknow) and BJP patriarch L.K. Advani (Gandhinagar).
Wednesday marked the end of the eighth phase of 10-phased balloting that ends May 12 to elect a 543 members to the Lok Sabha, in which two members are nominated. The votes will be counted May 16. Polling is now over in 438 constituencies and wholly in 21 states.
Modi, the Gujarat chief minister, courted a controversy when he displayed a lotus symbol near the polling booth in Gandhinagar where he voted. He also clicked a selfie.
Opposition parties, including the Congress and the AAP, were quick to complain that this violated the model code of conduct. On the urging of the poll panel, the Gujarat authorities filed a police complaint against Modi.
Congress general secretary Ajay Maken said: "We appeal to the Election Commission to ask the Gujarat government not to come under pressure of the chief minister."
The complaint was lodged at the Ahmedabad City police station.
Polling was brisk in most places, barring Jammu and Kashmir's Srinagar seat, where balloting was sluggish amid a boycott call by separatists. West Bengal as well as Andhra Pradesh's Telangana region, which also voted for a legislature for the proposed state, saw a huge voter turnout.
Apart from Srinagar where the voter turnout barely crossed 25 percent, heavy polling took place in Punjab (73 percent), Daman and Diu (76 percent) and Andhra Pradesh (70 percent). West Bengal saw a staggering 81 percent voter turnout.
Polling in Uttar Pradesh was around 57 percent, while in Bihar and Gujarat, it crossed the 60 percent mark.
Vadodara, from where Modi is contesting, recorded 70 percent turnout, while Rae Bareli, the constituency of Sonia Gandi, saw just over 51 percent of electors casting their ballots.
Balloting took place in Gujarat (26 Lok Sabha seats), Andhra Pradesh (17), Uttar Pradesh (14), Punjab (13), West Bengal (9), Bihar (7) and Jammu and Kashmir, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu (one constituency each).
After voting in Gandhinagar, Modi flew to Bihar where he addressed a rally in Ujiyarpur Lok Sabha constituency calling for "a strong government in the country".
"It is certain a new government led by the BJP will be formed," he said, predicting a defeat for the Congress-led UPA government.
All 26 Lok Sabha seats in Gujarat and all 13 in Punjab voted Thursday.
Punjab is witnessing some high-profile electoral battles. The most keenly watched contest is in Amritsar where the BJP's Arun Jaitley, fighting a Lok Sabha election for the first time, is pitted against former chief minister Amarinder Singh of the Congress.
In Andhra Pradesh, nine of the 10 districts which constitute the Telangana region recorded brisk voting.
Prominent among the contestants include union cabinet Minister S. Jaipal Reddy (Mahabubnagar), Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) chief K. Chandrasekhara Rao (Medak) and Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) president Asaduddin Owaisi (Hyderabad).
TRS chief Rao said he was confident of his party forming a government on its own strength in the proposed state of Telangana.
Heavy polling took place in West Bengal, following which the Communist Party of India-Marxist alleged "widespread rigging, violence and capture of polling booths" by the Trinamool Congress.
"Hundreds of polling booths were affected in Bolpur, Birbhum, Bardhaman Purba, Bardhaman-Durgapur, Howrah and Uluberia Lok Sabha constituencies," it said, demanding a re-poll.
"Polling agents of the CPI-M and the Left Front were driven out in a number of booths and blatant false voting has taken place in the presence of polling personnel," the party added.
Deputy Election Commissioner Vinod Zutshi said polling was peaceful and no untoward incidents were reported, "except a few cases of boycott in Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat".
On reports of booth capturing in West Bengal, he said the poll panel will scrutinise the report of election observers and the video recordings.
"If the reports are found to be true, we may go for repoll in those booths," he said.
Election Commission Director General Akshay Rout said that in polling held so far in 28 states, "26 states recorded higher turnouts than the last Lok Sabha election (in 2009) and 14 states recorded the highest ever turnout".
He said that until now, the overall turnout was 66 percent, compared to just 57.61 percent in 2009.
Commercialization of oceans threat to mankind: Kerala Governor
Kochi, Feb 5 (IANS) Rapid commercialization of the ocean sector with little regard to ecology is a major threat to the marine ecosystem and the very existence of mankind, said Kerala Governor
Wheat Flour Export: After wheat, now the government's strictness on flour export, their approval will have to be taken
After banning wheat exports in May, the government has decided to put in place a new approval framework for outbound shipments of wheat flour. Exporters of wheat flour will now require the approval of
India Vs Australia Semi-Final Today: Team India did not lose against Kangaroos in U-19 WC for 24 years, record 100% in knockout matches
The Under-19 World Cup being played in the West Indies has reached its final stage. Today the second semi-final of the tournament will be played between India and Australia at Antigua. Team India,
Natasa Stankovic: 'Love does not boast, never insults', Natasa took a dig at Hardik by sharing a note.
Actress Natasa Stankovic has recently shared a cryptic note. A few days ago, viral reports said that the real reason behind her divorce from Team India cricketer Hardik Pandya was that he was too
Three Militants Arrested in Assam
Guwahati, Jan 14 (IANS) Three militants, including one from a Bodo militant group that was behind the massacre of adivasis in December, were Wednesday arrested in Assam, the army said.Acting on a
Monsoon Session: NCP-Congress gives adjournment motion in Rajya Sabha, accuses Governor of insulting Maharashtra
On the second day of the Monsoon Session of Parliament, NCP and Congress have given notices of stop work motion in Rajya Sabha today. Accusing Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshiyari of insulting
World Cup 2023: Shubman Gill's discharge from the hospital certainly did not reduce Team India's worries.
Indian team opener Shubhman Gill was admitted to the hospital in Chennai after contracting dengue. According to the information, Gill's platelet count had fallen below one lakh, after which he was
First-timers Eager to Vote and Show off
New Delhi, Feb 6 (IANS) Renu Dass, 19, is excited about voting in the Delhi assembly election Saturday. Besides casting her maiden vote, the Delhi University studentis waiting for the dark purple
A political battle in Sri Lanka: Opposition leader Premadasa withdraws from presidential candidacy, announces support for Dullas Alhapparuma
Elections for the post of President are to be held in Sri Lanka on July 20. Earlier, the leader of the opposition party Samagi Jan Balvegaya (SJB) Sajith Premadasa announced that he would withdraw
Ukrainian President Zelensky meets US President Biden, US announces military aid
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky meets US President Joe Biden at the White House. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in the United States on Wednesday on his first trip abroad since
