16 Apr 2009, 0340 hrs IST, TNN:The Great Indian Open Election will be into its first round as 143 million of the country's 700 million voters cast their vote for the 15th Lok
The outcome in the Andhra Lok Sabha election could be crucial for the Congress.(PTI Photo)
Sabha election in their attempt to form India's next government - the shape of which is still eluding the wisest political pundits.
The outcome in 124 seats, which cover almost all the Naxal-affected areas, will be determined in Thursday's polling. They amount to just over one-fourth of the 543 seats, but they are crucial to the power bids of all contenders - the UPA, NDA, Third Front, Fourth Front, and many bit players whose support too will be desperately wooed as the group with the highest tally gets down to winning friends and influencing MPs after May 16, when all results will be announced.
A good bit of the two simultaneous assembly elections will also be held on Thursday - the first round will cover 154 of the 297 assembly seats in Andhra Pradesh (118 in the Telangana region) and 70 of the 147 seats in the Orissa assembly. Both Y S Rajasekhara Reddy and Naveen Patnaik must, therefore, be frightfully nervous.
The outcome in the Andhra Lok Sabha election could be crucial for the Congress. Whether it gets to lead the next coalition will ride as much on the kind of tally it notches up in Kerala, where all 20 seats are up for grabs, as on its success in minimising its losses in AP.
A handsome Congress tally from Kerala will also mean shrunken numbers for the Left and a blow to its aspiration to play kingmaker yet again. The Left's aspirations also hinge on Andhra Pradesh. The 22 Lok Sabha constituencies that go to the polls are concentrated in Telangana and north coastal AP where the TDP-TRS-Left alliance is said to be strong.
The region also holds the key to the success of the political debut of Telugu megastar Chiranjeevi's Praja Rajyam Party.
For the Congress, Thursday's polling in 13 seats in Maharashtra - ten of which are in the Vidarbha region - is critical. The last time it was virtually wiped out in Vidarbha. If it can make some rich pickings this time from the region, it can swell its final tally. Similarly, wins in some southern Orissa seats could be vital for its comeback bid to the Centre.
Round One is also gravely charged for the BJP. Much of its bid hinges on the party's performance in Bihar and Jharkhand. The BJP would also have to minimise the anticipated losses in Vidarbha. The polls in western Orissa, which is supposed to be its stronghold, will not just test its survival in the state after its divorce from the BJD, but also determine the party's leverage with Naveen Patnaik. If it bags ten-odd seats in the assembly election from this region, the BJP can hold that as a bait for Naveen Patnaik in case he's short of a majority.
That's also why the BJP has pumped resources hugely into about a dozen asssembly constituencies in AP - another state staring at the possibility of a hung house and energetic post-poll barters.
3 polling booths set on fire in Orissa's Malkangiri district
16 Apr 2009, 1116 hrs IST, PTIMALKANGIRI (ORISSA): Maoists set afire at least three polling booths, electronic voting machines and other poll material in Orissa's Malkangiri
district on Thursday, disrupting voting in the area.
The ultras, who have given a call for poll boycott, struck at Andrahal in Chitrakonda area setting ablaze a vehicle on election duty and two EVMs after tying the hands of poll officials, Malkangiri district collector Nitin Bhanudas Jawle said.
As a result, polling could not be held in the booth, he said.
Two polling booths were set ablaze by the Maoists in Salimarikonda and MV-73 in Kalimela police station area, Superintendent of Police Satyabrata Bhoi said, adding the EVMs in the booths were also set afire by the ultras.
The Maoists also blocked roads in Mathili area of the district by felling trees and placing boulders preventing movement of polling officials as well as voters.
Due to Maoist threat, not a single vote was cast in Badigata polling station in Kalimela area during the first two hours of voting with people failing to turn up.
Polling remained very low elsewhere in the district, particularly in areas covering Chitrakonda and Malkangiri assembly constituencies, Jawle said.
Naxals strike as voting begins for Lok Sabha polls
NEW DELHI: Polling for the first phase of elections to Lok Sabha began on a violent note with Naxals striking in Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and
Bihar killing nine people even as voters trickled in at ballot booths across 17 states and union territories.
As soon as the polling began in Jharkhand, Naxals struck a BSF bus, killing seven persons, including five BSF personnel, in Latehar district. ( Watch )
A helper and the civilian driver of the bus were among those killed in the landmine blast in the area, about 125 kms from Ranchi, according to deputy commissioner Sarvendu Tathagat.
The bus ferrying the BSF personnel from Ladhup to Arah was blown by the landmine blast triggered by the Maoists at around 7.30 am killing five BSF personnel, one helper and the civilian driver, the DC said.
The BSF personnel were returning after patrolling. A helicopter has flown to the spot for rescue operation, he said, adding an encounter is going on.
A homeguard and a police personnel on poll duty was shot dead and another injured by Naxals in Singhpur village under Banke Bazaar police station in Gaya district, police said. Two other police personnel were missing.
Naxalites also attacked polling booths in Dantewada and Narainpur regions in Chhattisgarh, triggering IED blasts and exchanging fire with security forces as polling began in the state. There were no immediate reports of any casualties.
The Naxals struck at Maroki, Mangnar and Jangampal in Dantewada area, about 350 kms from Raipur and in Nernar, Sonapal and Karmari in Narainpur region, around 250 kms from the Chhattisgarh capital, police officials said.
They said polling parties were safe.
Naxalites opened fire at two polling booths - Marokhi and Mangnar in Maoist-hit Dantewada Lok Sabha constituency, Dantewada Superintendent of Police Rahul Sharma told PTI.
Security forces deployed at the polling booths have retaliated and the exchange of fire is still on, he said.
In Narainpur area, the Naxalites exploded IEDs in Sonapal and Kokaneta regions but there was no danger to the polling officials, Superintendent of Police, Narainpur, Ambresh Mishra said.
Additional security forces have been rushed to the affected areas.
Voting began on a moderate note in 124 constituencies spread across 15 states and two union territories during which the fate of RJD chief Lalu Prasad, BJP's Murli Manohar Joshi and Yashwant Sinha and TRS president K Chandrasekar Rao will be decided.
Five BSF personnel among 9 killed in Maoist attacks
Thursday , Apr 16, 2009 at 1015 hrs ISTStriking for the second time in as many days in a bid to disrupt the Lok Sabha polls, Maoists on Thursday attacked a BSF bus, killing seven persons, including five BSF personnel, in Latehar district.
A helper and the civilian driver of the bus were among those killed in the landmine blast in the area, about 125 kms from Ranchi, according to Deputy Commissioner Sarvendu Tathagat.
The bus ferrying the BSF personnel from Ladhup to Arah was blown by the landmine blast triggered by the Maoists at around 7.30 am killing five BSF personnel, one helper and the civilian driver, the DC said.
The BSF personnel were returning after patrolling.
A helicopter has flown to the spot for rescue operation, he said, adding an encounter is going on.
ON Wednesday, Maoists had triggered a landmine blast in front of a CRPF bus killing a civilian driver. In the ensuing encounter, a CRPF constable, a sub-inspector and five Maoists were also killed.
First phase poll begins in Andhra Pradesh
Hyderabad,Apr 16 :The polling began for 22 Lok Sabha and 154 Assembly seats in Telangana and North Coastal Andhra regions in the first phase of elections, this morning.
In all, 315 Lok Sabha and 1,833 Assembly candidates are in the fray.
About 1.18 lakh security personnel, including 208 companies of central paramilitary forces, were deployed to ensure free and fair elections in 36,320 polling stations, including 4,848 sensitive, 3,090 hypersensitive, 2,337 extremist-affected and 2,109 troublesome polling stations.
As many as 3.12 crore voters including 1.56 crore women are eligible to exercise their franchise through 72,973 electronic voting machines in 36,320 polling stations spread across 13 districts during the first phase of polls from 0700 hrs to 1600 hrs.
Prominent Lok Sabha candidates in the fray, include Union Urban Development Minister S Jaipal Reddy (Chevella), Union Minister of State for Women and Child Development Renuka Chowdhury (Khammam), Union Minister of State for Human Resources Development D Purandareswari (Visakhapatnam), Telangana Rashtra Samiti(TRS) Supremo and former Union Labour Minister K Chandrasekhara Rao (Mahabubnagar), TRS actor-politician Vijayashanthi (Medak), CPI Deputy General Secretary S Sudhakar Reddy (Nalgonda), Praja Rajyam Party General Secretary Allu Aravind (Anakapalle) and former Union Minister of Railways and Bharatiya Janata Party State President B Dattatreya (Secunderabad).
Prominent Assembly candidates seeking re-election in the first phase, include Speaker K R Suresh Reddy(Armur), Pradesh Congress Committee President D Srinivas (Nizamabad-urban), Government whip D Sridhar Babu (Manthani), State Ministers K Jana Reddy (Nagarjunasagar),P Sabitha Indira Reddy (Maheswaram), B Vinod (Chennur), Mohammed Ali Shabeer (Kamareddy), J Ratnakar Rao (Koratla), T Jeevan Reddy (Jagtial), J Geeta Reddy (Zahirabad- SC), V Venkateswara Rao (Kothagudem), C Damodar Rajanarasimha (Andole-SC), G China Reddy (Wanaparthy), D Prasada Rao(Srikakulam), B Satyanarayana (Cheepurupalle) and K Ramakrishna (Ankapalle).
Former State Ministers in the fray, include T Srinivas, who is pitted against actor-politician Jayasudha for Secunderabad assembly seat, T Devender Goud (Ibrahimpatnam), K Vijayarama Rao (Khairatabad), Uma Madhav Reddy (Bhongir), K Srihari (Station Ghanpur), P Ashok Gajapathiraju (Vizianagaram), T Sitaram (Amadalavalasa) Nayini Narasimha Reddy (Musheerabad) and T Harish Rao (Siddipet).
Polling in Andhra Pradesh districts starts on a brisk note
Visakhapatnam, Apr 16 : Polling in Vizianagaram, Srikakulam and Visakhapatnam Districts in the first phase of 15th Lok Sabha elections began briskly at 0800 hours.
Official sources said when the polling began at 0700 hrs, people in rural and urban areas started exercising their franchise at Bheemunipatnam Assembly of Visakhapatnam Lok Sabha constituency.
Twelve per cent votes were polled at 0900 hrs. A large attendance was witnessed in Visakhapatnam, Viziaanagaram, and Srikakulam urban areas. Most of the working class people cast their votes.
Elaborate security arrangements were made throughout the districts.
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