Final phase of polling today
Entry of 3 leaders banned in Amethi

NEW DELHI, Oct 2 (PTI, UNI) — Amid tight security, 118 Lok Sabha constituencies spread over 10 states and a union territory including prestigious seats of Lucknow and Amethi go to polls in the final phase tomorrow in the backdrop of boycott call and threat of violence by some militant organisations in the North-East and Bihar.

Security has been beefed up and shoot-at-sight orders issued in sensitive constituencies, including Amethi, from where Congress President Sonia Gandhi is being challenged by BJP’s Sanjay Singh.

More than 13 crore voters are eligible to decide the fate of 1087 candidates, including Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, in these Lok Sabha seats comprising 42 in West Bengal, 31 in Uttar Pradesh, 12 in Bihar, 13 in Assam, 11 in Orissa, two each in Arunachal Pradesh, Tripura and Madhya Pradesh and one each in Andhra Pradesh, Sikkim and Lakshadweep.

Simultaneous polling will be held for 56 assembly seats in Arunachal Pradesh, 32 in Sikkim, seven in Andhra Pradesh and five in Karnataka besides byelections for five seats in West Bengal.

The entry of three prominent politicians has been banned in the Amethi Lok Sabha constituency during polling tomorrow, as the local authorities, determined to thwart any violence, declared shoot-at-sight orders against those trying to disrupt poll, clamped prohibitory orders and sealed all entry points.

The police and paramilitary forces carried out flag marches in sensitive areas of the constituency today and yesterday as the authorities issued instructions to arrest mischief-makers, even under the National Security Act (NSA), Chief Electoral Officer and District Magistrate Anurag Srivastava told said here.

The entry of BJP leader and minister in the Kalyan Singh Cabinet, Raghuraj Pratap Singh alias Raja Bhaiya, Congress Legislature Party leader Pramod Tewari and BJP-supported MLC Akshay Pratap Singh, alias Gopalji had been banned, Mr Srivastava said.

Raja Bhaiya and Mr Tewari contested against each other in the Pratapgarh constituency, which went to poll on September 25.

The authorities in Sultanpur and Rae Bareli districts, over which the constituency is spread, are co-ordinating closely to ensure peaceful poll.

Congress President Sonia Gandhi’s main rival in the constituency, BJP’s Sanjay Singh, has sought enhanced security for himself and his family.

The movement of all candidates tomorrow will be videographed and video cameras installed at the ‘sensitive’ and ‘hyper-sensitive’ polling stations, Mr Srivastava added.

Prominent candidates in the fray included Karan Singh, who is contesting against Mr Vajpayee in Lucknow, former Prime Minister Chandra Shekhar (Ballia), former Union Home Minister Indrajit Gupta (Midnapore), RJD President Laloo Prasad Yadav and JD(U) chief Sharad Yadav (both Madhepura).

Polling for outer Manipur and Anantnag Lok Sabha seats will be held on October 4 and that for Dhubri in Assam and Purnia, Rajmahal, Bhagalpur and Khagaria in Bihar on October 28.

Other prominent candidates in the fray are BSP leader Mayawati (Akberpur), former union ministers Arun Nehru (Rae Bareli), Beni Prasad Verma (Kaiserganj), Arif Mohammed Khan (Bahraich) and Ms Sudha Rai wife of late Kalpanath Rai (Ghosi).

An estimated 1.27 crore voters are eligible to exercise their franchise to choose their representatives from among 98 aspirants in Bihar.

Prominent among those whose fate would be decided on Sunday also include former union minister Hukumdeo Narain Yadav (Madhubani), Devendra Prasad Yadav (Jhanjharpur), Mohammed Taslimuddin (Kishangunj), Digvijay Singh (Banka) and NCP leader Tariq Anwar (Katihar).

The Election Commission has postponed polling to October 28 in Purnia, Bhagalpur, Rajmahal and Khagaria in the state following inundation of polling stations. Polling in two assembly segments under the Katihar Lok Sabha seat has been deferred to Monday in view of the flood situation.

The Katihar constituency has the highest number of fourteen candidates while, Saharsa has the lowest of five candidates.

Polling will also be held for the 32-member Sikkim Assembly, 60-member Arunachal Pradesh Assembly, seven assembly segments under Nasaraopet Lok Sabha constituency in Andhra Pradesh and five assembly seats in Karnataka. Arunachal Chief Minister Mukut Mithi and three other Congress nominees have already been declared elected unopposed to the 60-member House.

In Uttar Pradesh, 37 million voters are eligible to decide the fate of 462 candidates in 45,000 polling stations in 27 districts of the state.

Out of 31 seats, BJP had won 15 in 1998 and the Samajwadi Party nine. The BSP had won four, while the Samata Party and the Samajwadi Janata Party had two and one, respectively.

Electronic voting machines (EVMs) will be used in Lucknow.

The Election Commission (EC) today ordered detention of ministers, MLAs or other political leaders if they defied its directive banning their movement in constituencies, particularly in Madhepura, while shoot-at-sight orders have been issued against booth grabbers in 12 Bihar seats going to polls tomorrow.

District Magistrate-cum-Returning Officer of Madhepura Lian Kunga told reporters that restrictions were being enforced from 6 p.m. today on the movement of outsiders, including ministers and MLAs, and warned that they would be arrested if they violated the order.

Mr Kunga said the decision was taken to ensure that voters could exercise their franchise ‘‘fearlessly’’.

Chief Electoral Officer (Bihar) A.K. Basu told reporters that instructions were issued to the returning officers of all constituencies, particularly Madhepura, to ensure that outsiders including ministers and MLAs ‘‘gracefully’’ leave the constituencies.