Polling comes to end in 9 northern states
77 Lok Sabha seats spread across nine states of the north voted in the final phase of elections on Monday in what is being seen as a make or break situation for both the major alliances in the fray.
77 Lok Sabha seats spread across nine states of the north voted in the final phase of elections on Monday in what is being seen as a make or break situation for both the major alliances in the fray.
An Akali Dal leader was shot dead in Ludhiana district of Punjab.
Meanwhile stray incidents of violence, including blasts near a polling booth, were reported from the two constituencies going to polls in Jammu and Kashmir, even as a little-known group claimed responsibility for the attacks.
Madhya Pradesh
Polling for the final phase of the Lok Sabha elections to 17 constituencies in Madhya Pradesh began this morning under tight security arrangements. whereas in Jammu and Kashmir and Punjab, stray incidents of violence, including the killing of an Akali Dal leader were reported on Monday.
An estimated 2.32 crore voters are expected to exercise their franchise to decide the fate of 155 candidates in Madhya Pradesh.
Elaborate security arrangements have been made to ensure free, fair and peaceful balloting, particularly in dacoit-infested Chambal belt and areas adjoining Uttar Pradesh and communally sensitive areas like Dhar.
Shoot-at-sight orders in the event of booth capturing have been issued and borders to neighbouring states like Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh have been sealed.
Polling are being held in Morena, Bhind, Gwalior, Guna, Betul, Hoshangabad, Bhopal, Vidisha, Rajgarh, Shajapur, Khandwa, Khargone, Dhar, Indore, Ujjain, Jhabua and Mandsaur constituencies.
Prominent BJP candidates in the fray include Union Ministers Sumitra Mahajan (Indore), Satyanarayan Jatiya (Ujjain), the party state unit chief Kailash Joshi (Bhopal), party's national general secretary Shivraj Singh Chauhan (Vidisha), former Union Minister Sartaj Singh (Hoshangabad) and Laxman Singh (Rajgarh).
The notable Congress nominees include scion of royal Scindia family Jyotiraditya Scindia (Guna), retired Justice Shambhu Singh (Rajgarh), sitting MP in the dissolved Lok Sabha Kantila Bhuriya (Jhabua) and former state minister Satyadev Katare (Bhind).
Punjab, Haryana
SAD leader Jagpal Singh Sohali was shot dead by two gunmen in Sudhar police station area of Ludhiana in Punjab. Police said it had identified one of the assailants.
Another SAD worker was allegedly attacked by some persons in Shutrana area of Patiala Lok Sabha constituency.
A Polling Officer was thrashed allegedly by the supporters of a Congress Minister in Konkpur village in Naggal assembly segment of Ambala in Haryana.
Himachal Pradesh
About 10 to 15 per cent voting was reported in the early hours during polling for remaining four Lk Sabha seats in Himachal Pradesh.
About 10 per cent polling was reported in Shimla, Solan, Sundernagar and some other places while Rohroo, Una and Chamba reported 15 per cent polling.
Polling was peaceful and no untoward incident has been reported, official sources said.
