Millions vote peacefully across India

New Delhi, Apr 10: Millions voted across 14 states and union territories Thursday in the third round of parliamentary elections to pick 91 of the country's 543 MPs.

An estimated quarter of the 191 million electorate had voted by noon in five hours of balloting, with long queues of men and women seen right from the time the polling centres opened at 7 in the morning.

Voting picked up rapidly even in the few areas where it was initially dull. Officials at polling stations were kept busy checking identity cards of the voters and inking them.

Voter enthusiasm was high in both working class and middle class areas.

Electronic voting machines which broke down in a few places were quickly set right or replaced.

The Election Commission said the exercise all over was peaceful. In Delhi, a police officer said: "All is under control."

In Bihar, however, two Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel were killed when Maoists exploded a concealed land mine in Munger district when they were on their way to neighbouring Jamui where polling was on.

A total of 1,414 candidates are in the fray Thursday, the third round of staggered national election that began April 7 in the country's northeast.

Thursday's balloting covered all 20 Lok Sabha constituencies in Kerala, 10 each in Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Maharashtra and Odisha, nine in Madhya Pradesh, all seven seats in Delhi, six in Bihar, four in Jharkhand and one each in Chhattisgarh, Jammu, Chandigarh, Lakshwadeep as well as Andaman and Nicobar Island.

Congress president Sonia Gandhi, her son and party vice president Rahul Gandhi and AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal voted in separate polling centres in the national capital. Former BJP president Nitin Gadkari voted in Nagpur.

After voting, a smiling Gandhi flashed her inked finger but did not speak to the media.

Congress leader Ajay Maken, who was with her, earlier claimed that voters were sure to reward the Congress-led UPA with another five-year term.

Kejriwal said after voting that he was confident the AAP would win all seven seats in Delhi where he was chief minister for 49 days until Feb 14.

BJP leader Harsh Vardhan was equally confident that the Bharatiya Janata Party was set to sweep most Lok Sabha seats in contention Thursday due to the "(Narendra) Modi wave".

Chief Election Commissioner V.S. Sampath hoped that voting percentage will keep improving with every round of the Lok Sabha election.

He added that Thursday's voting was "critical... because some of the sensitive areas in the country are going to the polls".

In Gurgaon, abutting Delhi, long queues were seen even in what is known as New Gurgaon, dominated by high-rise condominiums and shopping malls.

Voters praised the "very organised" facilities, with senior citizens being given preference so that they did not have to stand in queues.

One voter who showed a flight ticket was allowed to jump the queue and vote.

Said Tishita Chopra, a housewife: "What impressed me were the excellent facilities and helpfulness of police and election personnel. Things were really working like clock-work."

Elderly come out in large numbers to cast vote

Voters across all age groups and professions are coming out in a large number to cast their votes at polling booths of prestigious New Delhi constituency.

In the expanding queues at polling stations, senior citizens, judges and bureaucrats were seen waiting for their turn to vote.

80-year-old Balbir Singh, who has been voting for over 55 years, reached polling station number AC-40 in his wheel chair to exercise his franchise this morning.

"Every person should vote till his death as it is our fundamental right. I feel proud of myself by casting vote," Singh said.

Asked based on what issues he cast his vote, Singh said, "Corruption is very important issue, which we have to eradicate immediately from our country and second issue is development."

Mahender Singh (75) said he has been voting for 45 years. Singh believes that youth can change the system with the power of their votes.

"Election Commission is doing good job by encouraging our youths for their voting rights. I hope that the percentage of youth voting will increase manifold in this General election," he said.

The fight for the New Delhi constituency is being considered as one of the closest battles today. Some of the biggest players in Indian politics are facing off in a tightly-contested race to Lok Sabha.

Among those in fray are Congress Party incumbent Ajay Maken, Bharatiya Janata Party spokeswoman Meenakshi Lekhi, and journalist-turned-politician Ashish Khetan of the Aam Aadmi Party.

LS polls: Moderate to high turnout in eastern states

Patna/Ranchi/Bhubaneswar/Port Blair: Moderate to high turnout was today recorded in first four hours of voting in Lok Sabha polls in Bihar, Jharkhand, Andaman and Nicobar Islands and simultaneous elections to Lok Sabha and 70 Assembly constituencies in Odisha.

While a high 30 per cent polling was registered in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, between 15 and 20 per cent was recorded in Odisha, 15 per cent in Bihar and 14 per cent in Jharkhand.

Elections in Naxal-hit states began on a violent note.

In Bihar, two CRPF personnel were killed and seven injured when Maoists detonated a landmine targeting two jeeps near Sawa Lakh Baba Mandir at the entrance of Bhimbandh jungle in Jamui Parliamentary constituency in Munger district at 5:30 AM, Deputy Superintendent of Police, Khargpur, Ranjan Kumar said.

The CRPF personnel killed in the blast were identified as head constable Ravindra Rai and constable Sone Gora, Kumar said.

The seven injured were admitted to the Bhagalpur hospital, he said.

In Gaya the police seized and defused six can bombs weighing 30 kg each from Banke Bazar area under Imamganj Assembly segment, which is part of Aurangabad Lok Sabha seat, Gaya senior superintendent of police Nishant Tiwari said.

In Jharkhand, Maoists exploded a series of landmines in the forests of Latehar district and exchanged gunfire with security personnel before polling began in the Chatra Lok Sabha seat, but there was no casualty, Latehar Superintendent of Police Michael S Raj said.

In Odisha, suspected Maoists pulled out polling personnel from a vehicle in Mathili area in Malkangiri and burnt four EVMs meant for four booths late last night, Malkangiri Superintendent of Police Akhileswar Singh said.

Among the 80 contestants for six LS seats in Bihar are Speaker of outgoing Lok Sabha Meira Kumar, former Kerala Governor Nikhil Kumar, Bihar Speaker Uday Narayan Choudhary, BJP leader Giriraj Singh, besides Chirag Paswan son of LJP President Ramvilas Paswan.

Ten women candidates were also in the fray.

Polling was being held in the Sasaram (SC), Karakat, Aurangabad, Gaya (SC), Nawada and Jamui (SC) LS seats.

In Jharkhand among the 62 candidates for the four LS seats were BJP candidate former Jharkhand police chief Vishnu Dayal Ram, RJD's Manoj Kumar and Jharkhand Vikas Morcha's Ghuran Ram.

Polling was being held in Palamau (SC), Chatra, Koderma and Lohardaga (ST).

In Odisha, among the 98 candidates for 10 LS seats, prominent contestants are former Congress chief ministers Giridhar Gamang and Hemanand Biswal, former union ministers Jual Oram (BJP) and Bhakta Charan Das (Congress).

Hockey star and former Indian team captain Dilip Tirkey was contesting from the Sundargarh LS seat on a BJD ticket. He was pitted against Hemanand Biswal of Congress and Oram.

Odia cinestar Siddhant Mohapatra was the BJD candidate from Berhampur Lok Sabha seat.

A total 673 aspirants were in the reckoning for 70 assembly seats.

In the Andamans, there was practically a straight contest between the Congress, which won the seat continuously until 2004 with the exception of 1999, and the BJP though there were national level parties like the NCP, BSP, CPI-M, SP and TMC in the contest for the lone seat.

The Congress contestant was Kuldeep Rai Sharma while Bishnu Pada Ray, the sitting MP, was the BJP nominee.