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Friday, Jun 03, 2005

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Other States - Haryana

Largely peaceful polling for by-elections

Special Correspondent

76 per cent polling in Haryana, turnout at 45 per cent in U.P., minor clashes in Allahabad

CHANDIGARH: As expected, the Congress is all set to sweep the three State Assembly by-elections in Haryana going by the heavy voter turn-out on Thursday.

According to preliminary reports, over 76 per cent of the 431,816 voters exercised their mandate in Kiloi, Hissar and Tosham constituencies.

The Haryana Chief Minister, Bhupinder Singh Hooda, was the Congress nominee for the Kiloi seat while Savitri Jindal and Kiran Chaudhary were the party nominees in Hissar and Bhiwani respectively.

The Kiloi seat had fallen vacant after the sitting MLA, Krishan Hooda, resigned from the Assembly to enable the Chief Minister, a sitting Lok Sabha MP, to enter the Vidhan Sabha within the stipulated period of six months after his swearing-in.

And the by-elections were necessitated in Hissar and Bhiwani after the sitting MLAs and Ministers in the Hooda cabinet, O.P.Jindal and Surender Singh, were killed in an air crash on March 31.

Savitri Jindal is the widow of Mr. Jindal and Kiran Chaudhary is the widow of Mr.Surender Singh.

According to official sources here, the polling on Thursday was peaceful.

However, the Indian National Lok Dal secretary-general, Ajay Chautala, alleged

that there had been "booth- capturing in Kiloi which was stoutly denied by the Government.

Heavy voting (87 per cent) was recorded in Tosham; 85 per cent in Kiloi and 62 per cent in Hissar, an official spokesman said here.

SP-BSP supporters clash

About 45.31 per cent electorate exercised their franchise in the by-elections to the four Assembly seats in Uttar Pradesh today, which was largely peaceful barring minor clashes between SP and BSP workers, state election office sources said here.

Barring some minor incidents of clashes between Samajwadi Party and BSP workers in Allahabad West, the polling passed off peacefully, the sources said.

While Khairagarh Assembly constituency recorded the highest 55.40 per cent polling, the lowest turnout of 32.3 per cent was recorded in Varanasi North, the sources said.

Haiser Bazar recorded 47.10 per cent turnout while 47 per cent voters exercised their franchise in the prestigious Allahabad West assembly constituency, they said.

Sporadic incidents of scuffles between SP and BSP workers were reported from Allahabad West, the sources said adding, polling was disrupted at Tewari Kalan in the constituency due to clashes between the supporters of the two parties.

Polling began on a brisk note in the morning but slowed down a bit as the day progressed owing to the severe heat wave conditions, they said.

However, it picked up again in the afternoon and voters were seen standing in long queues to exercise their franchise.

Meanwhile, according to a report from Haiser Bazar Assembly constituency in Sant Kabirnagar district, BSP leader Rajendra Singh was arrested after he was found roaming in the area despite being externed from the district.

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