E-Paper
Polling on in UP, MP, Raj
An estimated 1.51 crore electorate would exercise their franchise to decide the fate of 139 candidates in three states.
Polling for 67 constituencies spread across the Hindi heartland got underway on Wednesday. Among the states going to polls are Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.
All 25 seats in Rajasthan are going to polls as 3.47 lakh electorate would exercise their franchise at 35,835 polling booths to elect representatives from among 185 candidates.
Polling for 30 Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh began this morning to decide the fate of 423 candidates including prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
Polling for the first phase of Lok Sabha election in Madhya Pradesh in 12 constituencies began on Wednesday morning amidst tight security arrangements.
An estimated 1.51 crore electorate would exercise their franchise through Electronic Voting Machines to decide the fate of 139 candidates.
Prominent among those in fray include Congress' Kamal Nath, BJP leader and Union Minister of State for Coal Prahlad Patel (both Chhindwara) and Union Minister of State for Tribal Affairs Phaggan Singh Kulaste of BJP (Mandla).
The constituencies going to polls in the first phase are Sagar, Khajuraho, Damoh, Satna, Rewa, Sidhi, Shahdol, Balaghat, Mandla, Jabalpur, Senoi and Chhindwara.
Elaborate security arrangements have been made particularly in Naxal-infested Balaghat and Mandla districts and areas bordering Uttar Pradesh.
Special measures have also been made to ensure peaceful, free and fair voting in 5035 polling stations.
The boundaries of 11 districts -- Rewa, Satna, Sidhi, Panna, Shahdol, Balaghat, Seoni, Chhindwara, Chhattarpur, Tikamgarh and Dindori -- attached to other states have been sealed.
A total of 14,000 security personnel, including Homeguard jawans and Special Armed Forces, were brought in for poll duty from Maharashtra, Gujarat and Chhattisgarh.
