The Hindu : National : Second phase crucial for RJD

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Feb 15, 2005

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National

Second phase crucial for RJD

By Our Special Correspondent

PATNA, FEB. 14. The second phase of elections in 82 constituencies of Bihar is crucial for the ruling Rashtriya Janata Dal. Tomorrow, it will test its vote bank which helped it harvest as many as 52 seats five years ago.

The RJD is contesting 68 of these seats.The fight is for the Muslim votes and both the RJD and the Lok Janshakti Party have fielded clerics to canvass for them.

Campaigning for this phase was marked by the controversy surrounding the compact discs on the Godhra incident and the Gujarat riots, and the iron hand with which the Election Commission has sought to tackle the situation. It sought an explanation from the RJD over the release of the CD and ordered the filing of criminal cases wherever the CD was released and posters depicting the riots were put up.

Yet, more posters have emerged in constituencies, including those going to the polls tomorrow. The police have lodged fresh cases in Supaul and West Champaran.

The EC has rescheduled the elections in four constituencies with the result that polling would be held in only 82 constituencies tomorrow. About 1.18 crore voters will exercise their franchise to decide the fate of about 1,000 candidates.

Unlike in the first phase where the naxalites posed a threat, the police now will have to contend with several notorious criminals. As many as 325 companies of paramilitary forces have been deployed to prevent violence and booth-capturing.

The 114 km-long Indo-Nepal border has been sealed to prevent Maoists from interfering in the poll process. Officials here claimed that the Royal Nepal Army had been deployed in Nepal to check infiltration.

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