The Hindu : Polling peaceful, says EC

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Feb 27, 2003

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Polling peaceful, says EC

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI Feb. 26. The Election Commission today said that barring stray incidents, the elections to the four State Assemblies of Himachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Tripura and Meghalaya passed off peacefully.

Himachal Pradesh recorded 63 per cent turnout; Nagaland 70 per cent; Tripura 72 per cent and Meghalaya 68 per cent turnout. The figures were tentative and could vary after final figures were obtained.

In the seven byelections, which were also incident-free, Sattankulam (Tamil Nadu) recorded 55 per cent; Ratabari (Assam) 65 per cent; Pampore (Jammu and Kashmir) 40 per cent; Humnabad (Karnataka) 68 per cent; Bhokarden (Maharashtra) 62 per cent; Haidergarh and Gauriganj (Uttar Pradesh) 54 per cent and 55 per cent respectively.

In Triupura, which is facing insurgency activities, all the polling parties were safe and no casualty and injury had been reported. The polling parties who were airlifted to interior areas were staying overnight in camps under BSF security.

In Nagaland, the contest turned out to be heated in many parts of the State. The complaints generated as a result of this were being looked into by the Central Observers.

Five EVMs were destroyed by a mob in Lakuti village in Wokha district. In Zunheboto district, the polling parties of polling station nos. 15 and 16 were ambushed by miscreants on their way back to camps.

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