NEW DELHI, February 16: Around 52 per cent of the 83.14-lakh strong electorate cast their votes for the seven Lok Sabha constituencies today in the first phase of the general election. Though the polling was peaceful, 20 persons were arrested on complaints of booth capturing and bogus voting.Many voters found their votes already cast when they reached the polling stations. While officials attributed this to the lack of verification of voter I-cards, politicians traded charges with each other. Chief Electoral Officer O.P. Kelkar, however, insisted that he had not received any complaint of the sort.Polling began at a very slow pace at 7 a.m. today, gaining momentum only after 10 a.m. President K.R. Narayanan, departing from tradition, exercised his franchise at the government school polling station in the President's estate. Others who cast their vote included Sonia Gandhi and her children, Rahul and Priyanka, Delhi CM Sahib Singh Verma, Chief Election Commissioner M.S. Gill and Election CommissionerG.V.G. Krishnamurthy.Tempers ran high in the New Delhi constituency when a section of BJP workers were allegedly found with a set of stamps used to seal ballot boxes.The BJP candidate from the area and former J & K Governor, Jagmohan, accused his Congress opponent R.K. Dhawan of deploying a fleet of cars to ferry them to the polling booths.In Outer Delhi's Mundka village and Sultanpuri resettlement colony, the supporters of local BJP and Congress candidates reportedly indulged in bogus voting and distribution of liquor.Despite tight security around the 9,104 polling booths, incidents of bogus voting and minor scuffles were reported. Booth capturing was reported from Majnu Ka Tila, Matia Mahal and Chandni Mahal segments of the Chandni Chowk constituency, where two persons, including a former municipal councillor, were arrested for causing violence.In Prasad Nagar area of Karol Bagh constituency, 8,544 bottlers of IMFL (Indian Made Foreign Liquor) and 288 bottles of beer were recovered from AmirChand and Dharam Chand, allegedly affiliated to a political party. In Paharganj area of Chandni Chowk constituency, 214 bottle of IMFL were recovered from persons reportedly connected with a political party, who were later arrested.In New Delhi constituency, two persons were arrested in Nizamuddin and one in Sarojini Nagar. Four persons were arrested for bogus voting in South Delhi. In Model Town area of Sadar constituency, one person was arrested and in the Dabri area of Outer Delhi, eight persons were arrested for bogus voting.The sealed ballot boxes will be taken to 14 centres in the seven constituencies under tight security and counting of votes will take place on March 2. By-election for the Ghonda assembly constituency was also held simultaneously. This constituency recorded a 37.3 per cent voter turnout.NEW DELHI: The voters apathy in this posh constituency was apparent as most preferred to stay indoors. Till 4:00 p.m. only 36 per cent turnout was reported, but it picked up in the last one hourof polling and the official figure stood at 51 per cent.In areas like Bapa Nagar, Shahjahan Road, Kaka Nagar,Sunder Nagar, Defence Colony and Chanakyapuri, polling was very low. Heavy polling was reported from the Yamuna Pushta area with all the 22 booths recording over 50 per cent turnout in the first two hours. There were reports of minor scuffles between Congress and BJP workers at Lodhi Colony.SOUTH DELHI: Voting in South Delhi was pathetic in the morning, but it gradually picked up between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.. Till 4 p.m. it was estimated that only 38 per cent of the 11.03 lakh voters in the constituency had turned up to exercise their franchise.However, in the last hour, the figure shot up to more than 50 per cent. Four persons were picked up from Okhla and Kalkaji on charges of impersonation.OUTER DELHI: Supporters of the BJP and Congress allegedly indulged in bogus voting in the Outer Delhi parliamentary constituency, especially in Mundka village, the hometown of Chief Minister Sahib SinghVerma.Seven polling booths in the village recorded more than 50 per cent voting till 3 p.m. and enthusiastic voters could be heard bragging about the number of votes they had cast. "I have already cast 20 votes and will cast a few more before the day is over," said Hari Prakash. Congress activist Harish Vats said: "We know that the BJP is indulging in bogus voting, but we are helpless." There were similar charges against Congress workers too.KAROL BAGH: Two polling agents were detained in Motia Khan for carrying stamps inside the polling station. However, since no ballot paper was tampered with, they were both released.In Baljeet Nagar, the Prem Nagar jhuggi clusters and Katputhli Nagar, bogus votes were reportedly cast in the morning. Polling agents in these booths admitted that at least seven per cent of the total votes cast were bogus.CHANDNI CHOWK: The smallest parliamentary constituency in the Capital saw the largest voter turnout, recording a 5 per cent increase as compared to the previouselections. There were, however, some reported incidents of bogus voting in the Jama Masjid area.EAST DELHI: East Delhi witnessed the lowest voter turnout in the Capital with only 40 per cent polling being recorded here. According to reports from Lampur village, which has 1184 voters, there was no voting here at all.DELHI SADAR: The Punjabi Bagh (East) area of Delhi Sadar remained tense after voting started today with both Congress and BJP workers alleging rigging and bogus voting. While BJP workers alleged that Congress supporters were ferrying voters to the polling stations, the Congress workers blamed the presiding officials for being partial towards the BJP. As neither charges could be proved, the police did not register any cases.
