Poll Briefs

North-East: Soon after the ULFA called a ban on elections, there have been two incidents of attacks on party leaders here. An Indepependent ...

North-East: Soon after the ULFA called a ban on elections, there have been two incidents of attacks on party leaders here. An Indepependent contesting the assembly by-election in Henglep in Manipur8217;s Churachandpur district was abducted by unidentified gunmen on Wednesday night. T. Kamkhanpao was taken away while he was campaigning after a shoot-out in which his security guard was killed. The attackers also took away the guard8217;s weapons.

In another incident at Raishabari in Tripura8217;s Dhalai district, suspected underground guerrillas attacked a CPIM office and injured two partymen on Wednesday night. However, security forces immediately reached the spot, forcing the militants to flee.

Vadodara: With money short, candidates can8217;t aim too high this time. Not even garlanding a statue. This is what two contestants for the Sayajiganj assembly seat in Vadodara discovered when they reached Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel8217;s statue here to pay their respects. When they rang the fire brigade to ask for twoladders so that they could climb up, they were told they would have to pay and, more importantly, the sum would be included as poll expense. They promptly dropped the idea.

Shimla: The manifesto released by the Himachal Pradesh Congress here on Thursday makes no mention of corruption though Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh had been promising to make the issue a poll plank. One such assurance had been made by him just two days ago.

Jaipur: The Janata Party may have itself long disappeared but an election record set by it here still stands after 20 years. In the post-Emergency Lok Sabha elections held in Rajasthan, the party had secured 65.21 per cent of the total polled votes 24 of the 25 seats in the State. No other party has even come close to this, with the best performance put up here by the Congress being 53.5 per cent, achieved back in 1957, and the BJP being 42.36, secured in 1996.

Agartala: Tripura Ch-ief Minister Dasarath Deb has requested the CPIM not to renominate himfor the February 16 election in the State as he hasn8217;t been keeping well. At an election rally here on Wednesday, the 82-year-old veteran Marxist said: 8220;I do not like to hold power at this stage as I have been ailing long.8221; An emotionally charged Deb also urged the people to give the Left Front one more chance.

Bhopal: The ruling Congress here has fielded six of its State ministers for the Lok Sabha polls in the hope of bolstering its chances. None, incidentally, has contested a parliamentary poll before. The six are Home and Public Relations Minister Charandas Mahant, Education Minister Balendu Shukla, Ayacut Minister Jageshwar Sahu, Tribal Welfare Minister Kantilal Bhuria, Manpower Planning Minister Narendra Nahata and Commerce and Industries Minister Rajendra Singh.

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Jamnagar: For the first time in the Jamnagar Lok Sabha seat, a separate poll booth has been set up for employees of the Lighthouse and Light-ships Department and their families living on Pirotan island in the Gulf of Kutch,18 km off the coast. A polling booth exclusively for women would also be set up for the first time at Dhrafa in Porbandar Lok Sabha constituency, as the town has mostly Rajputs, whose women traditionally observe purdah.

Dausa: As members of the Rajasthan Assembly will vouch, Congress Mahuwa MLA Hari Singh Mahuwa is fond of his voice. From Sonia Gandhi8217;s rally at Dausa on Wednesday it seems, no one else is. Before her arrival, Mahuwa had been tutoring the crowd that if he said 8220;Sonia Gandhi kaisi hai8221;, they were to shout back 8220;Indira Gandhi jaisi hai8221;. But the plan fell apart as soon as Sonia came. Despite Mahuwa8217;s repeated exhortations and finally pleas, the people 8212; perhaps tired of the long wait for the Madam 8212; refused to respond. The MLA eventually gave up with a lame: 8220;I understand only my voice is being heard.8221;