CEC downplays violent incidents during polling

Chief Election Commissioner Naveen Chawla on Thursday downplayed incidents of violence witnessed during the ongoing Lok Sabha polls, saying they have been "pretty minimal" as compared to the huge polling exercise.

Chief Election Commissioner Naveen Chawla on Thursday downplayed incidents of violence witnessed during the ongoing Lok Sabha polls, saying they have been "pretty minimal" as compared to the huge polling exercise.

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"When you are talking about so many large states and over hundreds and thousands of booths, the violence is pretty minimal," he told NDTV when asked if the EC was toothless in controlling election-related violence.

Referring to the firing incident in Dausa on Thursday, he said, "In a huge election, may be such a thing -- a firing -- may not be entirely unexpected.

"But in the totality of things as I speak in the fourth phase with three phases of polling behind us, I am extremely satisfied and also extremely grateful to the security forces and all our unknown and unsung polling personnel who made the polling possible," he said.