The Hindu : Front Page : Repolling in 25 booths of Siwan

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, May 01, 2004

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Front Page

Repolling in 25 booths of Siwan

By J. Venkatesan

NEW DELHI, APRIL 30. The Election Commission has turned down the demand of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to countermand the election to the Siwan Lok Sabha constituency in Bihar. Instead, it ordered repolling tomorrow in 25 polling stations.

The BJP had alleged largescale violence in the constituency during polling on April 26. Mohammad Shahabuddin, RJD leader, is seeking re-election from the constituency, facing Om Prakash Yadav of the JD(U).

Sources in the Commission said there was no justification for countermanding the election in the entire constituency. The decision to order only repolling in select polling stations was taken based on observers' report. Repolling has been ordered in the Assembly segments of Goreakothi (2), Siwan (4), Mairaw-Res (6), Daruli (3), Ziradei (9) and Raghunathpur (1).

Videography in Lucknow

The Commission ordered videography in 14 sensitive and hypersensitive constituencies in Uttar Pradesh, including Lucknow, from where the Prime Minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, is contesting, during the next two phases of polling on May 5 and 10.

Taking into consideration the complaints on the possibility of violence, the Commission has ordered appointment of two Inspectors-General of Police during the polling in the State. While one of them would be in charge of Banda, Hamirpur and Chitrakoot districts, the other would take care of Etawah, Mainpuri, Kannauj and Firozabad.

Directive to DD

The Commission directed Doordarshan not to show films of artistes who are either contesting or campaigning for any political party. "The Commission has decided not to allow the exhibition of films of artistes who have joined politics and are either contesting or campaigning for any political party," it said in its reply to Prasar Bharati, which had sought clarification on the issue last week. The Commission directed the public broadcaster to strictly adhere to its order till the elections are over.

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