The Hindu : National : 57 p.c. turnout in Orissa

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Wednesday, Apr 21, 2004

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National

57 p.c. turnout in Orissa

By Prafulla Das

BHUBANESWAR, APRIL 20. The first phase of polling for 11 Lok Sabha and 77 Assembly seats in Orissa was by and large peaceful, barring stray incidents of violence.

Initial reports placed the voter turnout at 57 per cent. The percentage could go up after detailed reports reach Bhubaneswar, the State Chief Electoral Officer, R. Balakrishnan, told presspersons here this evening.

At many places, people in large numbers came to vote late in the afternoon. The voting continued till 6.30 p.m. at some places.

Mr. Balakrishnan said a group of suspected naxalites came to a polling booth at Kurmanoor, which falls under the Malkangiri Assembly segment and the Nawrangpur Lok Sabha constituency, and took away the electronic voting machines (EVMs). They also burnt "polling papers," but did not harm polling personnel.

Miscreants forcefully entered three booths in the Chhatrapur Assembly segment that came under the Berhampur Parliamentary constituency, leading to cancellation of polling. Similarly, miscreants damaged EVMs in a booth in Kandarkela, which comes under the Biramitrapur Assembly segment and the Sundargarh Lok Sabha constituency.

Despite the call of the People's War for a poll boycott, there was a large turnout in the naxal-infested districts of Malkangiri, Koraput and Rayagada.

In many of the naxal-free areas, people boycotted the polls over local issues. None came to vote in Balichara, Sirliguda and Sargiguda, which come under the Kalahandi Lok Sabha constituency and at Gadibahal.

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