Main Page                                                 Archives

 

Protests mar municipal polls in Srinagar

     Srinagar: Protests marred the second phase of the first civic elections in 27 years in Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday, as a separatist alliance gave a call for a total shutdown in Srinagar. Separatist leaders tried to take to the streets as groups of people burnt effigies and pelted stones at policemen as Srinagar voted in the civic elections. Hundreds of activists took to the streets with banners and placards urging people not to vote. Muslim militants have also called for a boycott of the polls, which are spread over several days. Javed Mir, a senior separatist leader and chairman of the Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Forum, who was behind the anti-poll demonstration, was later arrested by the police. The anti-poll demonstration was called for a general boycott of the polls, maintaining that "such exercises would not resolve the Kashmir dispute". "The civic polls being held by the government is misleading the world. Some politicians want to take advantage of the sacrifice of thousands of Kashmiris who have laid down their life in the freedom struggle. We, through this demonstration, want to say that the Kashmir issue cannot be solved by holding elections," said Javed Mir. Undeterred by the threats, people from all walks of life, male and female, some of whom were the worst sufferers of violence, expressed their enthusiasm for the elections by turning out to vote in two of Kashmir's biggest cities. The ballot today will decide the fate of 218 candidates fielded by the state's five major political parties.

Campaigning for assembly polls for three states ends (Go To Top)

     New Delhi: Campaigning for the single-phase election to Haryana Assembly and the first of the three-phase polls in Bihar and Jharkhand on February 3 ended today. In the first phase, polling will be held for all the 90 seats in the Haryana, 64 out of the 243 seats in Bihar and 24 of the 81 in Jharkhand. Haryana will virtually witness a straight contest between the ruling Indian National Lok Dal and opposition Congress. Other contestants might play a spoilsport in few assembly segments during the one-day polling for the Haryana state assembly. BJP, which in 2000 had contested the polls in alliance with the INLD, is contesting on its own, but its candidates appear to be no match for the nominees of the two main parties. This appears to be true for the BSP, also contesting on its own, whose nominees seem have no significant background. In Haryana, 983 candidates are in the fray in 90 assembly constituencies, while 826 nominees will be trying their luck in 64 constituencies of Bihar, in the first phase. In Jharkhand, 402 candidates are in the fray for 24 of the total 81 assembly seats, which go for polls on Thursday. All the 24 seats are in the Naxal dominated constituencies. Elaborate security arrangements are in place in the three states for peaceful conduct of polls. Several national leaders, Congress President Sonia Gandhi, RJD chief Laloo Prasad Yadav took part in campaigning for the polls in Bihar, Haryana and Jharkhand. Former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and BJP President L K Advani also campaigned in these states.

Security beefed up in poll-bound Jharkhand  (Go To Top)

     Chatra (Jharkhandi): Elaborate security arrangements have been made across the leftist rebel infested state of Jharkhand for the peaceful conduct of polls. Jharkhand, alongwith neighbouring Bihar, heads for a three-phase poll beginning Thursday (February 3). Northern Haryana will have a single-day polling, also on Thursday. Polling to the 81-member Jharkhand assembly has been staggered in three phases to allow movement of security personnel across the leftist infested areas. Security officials have taken precautions to check any militant activity likely to deter voters from exercising their franchise. Around 214 companies of paramilitary forces have been deployed in seven districts after a spurt in extremist activities. Special equipments are being used to search for landmines, police suspect rebels plant to sabotage the polls. "In the last 15-16 days, we have recovered highly powerful landmines. Once, we found 16 landmines, then we found more yesterday. We are taking necessary action. Earlier people had less confidence in us. But we are trying to spread awareness among the people about Naxals through pamphlets or by advertising on cinema screens," said Shashi Nath Jha, Superintendent of Police in Chatra district.

     The Maoist rebels, who are locally known as Naxals, have called for a boycott of the polls, vowing to disrupt the election process. In Bihar's Gaya district last week, the Naxalites burnt down the chopper used by Venkaiah Naidu, former head of the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party. The chopper had made an emergency landing in the area after it developed a technical snag. Veteran Communist leader Mahendra Prasad Singh became the first casualty in Jharkhand in the run up to the elections when suspected Maoist ultras gunned him down on January 16. Jharkhand, ruled by the BJP, votes for the first time since it was carved out of Bihar in December 2000. Maoists have been fighting a low-intensity insurgency for more than three decades in the tribal-dominated state. They are known to attack government establishment and often blow up railway tracks and police stations, stalling development work in many regions. The rebels have been fighting for peasant rights, job quotas for minorities and lower caste groups, and a ban on liquor, which they say only impoverishes the poor further.