NEW DELHI, FEB 21Amidst shoot-at-sight orders and hightened security, 307 constituencies go to the polls on Tuesday in the final phase of Assembly elections in Bihar, Orissa, Haryana and Manipur.In Bihar, where a violence-filled first and second phase accounted for 31 deaths, shoot-at-sight orders have been issued against those who attempt booth-capturing during the voting for the remaining 108 of the 324 Assembly constituencies.Director General of Police K A Jacob told PTI that all police stations in the constituencies going to the polls have been put on high alert and patrolling intensified, particularly in the areas where the outlawed ultra-Left outfits have threatened to take recourse to violence to enforce their poll boycott. District magistrates and police superintendents of districts bordering Nepal are in "constant touch" with their Nepalese counterparts and close surveillance is being kept to prevent subversive activities by the Pakistan-based Inter ServicesIntelligence, he said. Prominent among the 1,326 contestants whose fate will be decided by an estimated 1.9 crore voters include former Union Minister of State for Home Taslimuddin, Bihar People's Party chief Anand Mohan's wife Lovely Anand and senior Congress leader Prabhunath Singh. Haryana will go to single phase polls on Tuesday for choosing the 90-member Assembly from 971 contestants. About 50,000 security personnel have been deployed to ensure peaceful polling at 15,451 stations. Prominent contestants are Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala, two former chief ministers Bansi Lal and Bhajan Lal and state Congress chief Bhupinder Singh Hooda. In Orissa too, where polling will be held for the remaining 77 of the 147 seats, shoot-at-sight orders have been issued in `sensitive' constituencies with paramilitary forces and armed police personnel conducting flag marches today to instill confidence in voters amidst the threat of violence and a poll boycott call by Naxalites.Prominent among those whose fate will be decided by 1.30 crore voters include Union Minister and Biju Janata Dal chief Naveen Patnaik, who is tipped to become the chief minister if the BJP-BJD combine is voted to power, and Pradesh Congress Committee chief and former chief minister J B Patnaik. In insurgency-hit Manipur, security forces have been put on maximum alert in view of intensified underground activities and proposed "public curfew" called by All Manipur Students' Union during polling for the remaining 32 of 59 constituencies. Polling in one constituency has been suspended due to the killing of the Janata Dal (United) candidate. Counting of votes will be taken up on February 25.Repoll in 545 boothsNEW DELHI: The Election Commission on Tuesday ordered repoll in two phases in 545 polling booths in 47 Assembly constituencies of Bihar where the first two rounds of elections were held on February 12 and 17. While repoll in 110 polling booths in 12 constituencies will be held onTuesday along with the third phase of polling in 108 constituencies, fresh poll would be held in 435 polling stations in 35 constituencies on February 24.
