The Hindu : 50-55 p.c. turnout in second phase of U.P. elections

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Feb 19, 2002

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50-55 p.c. turnout in second phase of U.P. elections
By J.P. Shukla

A Border Security Force soldier stands guard at a polling station at Jaheta village, 30 km from Lucknow, on Monday. - AFP

LUCKNOW, FEB. 18. Between 50 and 55 per cent votes were cast today in the second phase of polling to Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, which, by and large passed off peacefully. Stray clashes and obstruction of the polling process at some places were, however, reported.

Two persons sustained gunshot injuries in a clash between workers of the Bahujan Samaj Party and the Samajwadi Party at Nadaura village under Mehmoodabad police station in Farrukhabad district, according to reports received here. Minor clashes between the supporters of rival parties were also reported in the districts of Mainpuri, Etawah and Kanpur.

A police head-constable was killed in a firing incident in Jalaun district but this, reports claimed, was not poll-related.

Briefing newspersons, the State's Principal Home Secretary, Naresh Dayal, said that workers of BSP and SP exchanged fire at Nadaura village. One person was injured from each side.

In Kanpur, members of a minority community allegedly prevented members of the majority community from casting their votes at a polling booth in Sisamau locality. This was followed by protests by BJP workers. The BJP candidate, Anant Mishra, was allegedly assaulted by BSF personnel after he caught one of their officials by his collar. A crowd of several hundred BJP workers later sat on a dharna at Sisamau crossing, Mr. Dayal said.

There were minor clashes between supporters of rival parties at Kuberpur village under and Nagla Mangli village. Police intervened to prevent the escalation of violence in both cases.

At Maraiya Karilgarh village under Pachaygaon, members of a polling party were attacked by a group of villagers. Voting was comparatively dull (slightly over 45 per cent) in Lucknow and Kanpur. Comparatively higher polling was recorded in Lakhimpur Kheri district (55 per cent), Kanpur rural (58), Mainpuri (58) and Etawah (55). Sitapur (48), Unnao (44) and Chitrakoot (51) were some of the other districts which recorded poor polling.

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