Bihar poll turns violent, 6 dead

Unidentified gunmen shot dead six persons, including the driver of independent candidate Shanti Devi. One person received bullet wounds, a Patna report said.

An estimated 62 per cent voters cast ballots to decide the fate of Rabri Devi and 24 other candidates in Raghopur, Jamui and Nirsa.

Polling was dull in Aska Lok Sabha constituency in Orissa, vacated by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, with an estimated turnout of only 33 per cent, a Bhubaneshwar report said.

The highest voter turnout of 90 per cent was reported from Haryana’s Rori constituency where Abhay Chautala, son of Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala, is locked in a multi-cornered contest.

In Assam, where elections were held for three seats, a clash between rival supporters and attempts to rig the polls marred the polling in Karimganj leaving three persons injured.

An estimated 60 per cent 3.22 lakh voters exercised their franchise in Nalbari, where Aloka Desai Sarma (AGP), wife of slain PWD Minister Nagen Sarma, is pitted against former Assam Chief Minister Bhumidhar Barman (Cong). Bhabanipur and Karimganj are the other two constituencies which went to the polls in the state today.

In Andhra Pradesh, polling was peaceful in Bhongir and Chevella asssembly constituencies with a turnout of around 65 per cent.

The election for Bongir seat was necessitated following the death of Panchayat Raj Minister A Madhav Reddy in a landmine blast by People’s War Group (PWG) naxals. Reddy’s wife A Uma Devi is the candidate of ruling TDP for the seat.

Defying the poll boycott call by PWG in Kiranpur constituency in Madhya Pradesh, about 62 per cent of the 1.12 lakh electorate exercised their franchise in the election caused by the death of state Transport Minister Likhiram Kawre by the naxals. Kawre’s wife Pushplata is in fray for the seat.

While 47 per cent turnout was reported from Soron constituency in Uttar Pradesh, 48 per cent of voters cast ballots for Mairang seat in Meghalaya.