68 per cent polling recorded in Haryana

An estimated 68 per cent of 1.31 electorate cast votes for the 90-seat House sealing the fate of 1,222 candidates,including 67 women,in Electronic Voting Machines.

The poll percentage might rise as voter turnout from some places was still awaited,a state Election Office spokesman said.

The counting will take place on October 22 when the fate of several political heavyweights including Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda,INLD supremo Om Parkash Chautala,INLD Secretary General Ajay Chautala and Haryana Janhit Congress chief Kuldeep Bishnoi will be known.

48-year-old Jyoti Ram,the polling agent,was killed when a clash erupted between supporters of Congress nominee Dillu Ram and Independent candidate Kulwant Bazigar in Guna segment in Kaithal district.

Ram was Bazigar’s poll agent,police said adding two persons were injured in a firing incident at Ferozepur Jhirka in Mewat district.

In Jalalpur village in Panipat district,a clash between activists of Haryana Janhit Congress (BL) and the Congress left 11 injured,one of them seriously.

DSP Jagbir Singh Dhull was hit by a stone near Hindu Kanya Mahavidalaya in Jind district while one person was hurt in a clash in Ambala city between supporters of an Independent candidate and a SAD nominee.

Skirmishes also took place at Sirsa,Ambala,Kaithal,Yamuna Nagar,Karnal and other places leaving some injured.