Several top leaders are in the fray in the penultimate round of Lok Sabha polls in 64 constituencies tomorrow spread across 7 states. Of these, 25 seats are Andhra Pradesh, 15 in Uttar Pradesh, 7 in Bihar, 6 in West Bengal, 5 in Uttarakhand, and 2 in Jammu and Kahsmir, 4 in Himachal Pradesh. 175 assembly constituencies in the seemandhra region of Andhra Pradesh will also go to the polls for the first time after the creation of Telengana.
Among those, whose political fate to be sealed tomorrow, are Rahul Gandhi, his cousin Varun, Union Minister Beni Prasad Verma, cricketer-turned-politician Md. Kaif, all in UP, and Ram Vilas Paswan, Rabri Devi and Rajiv Pratap Rudy,all in Bihar. HimachalPradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh's wife Pratibha, Anurag Thakur, sitting MP and son of former Chief Minster Prem Kumar Dhumal, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat's wife Renuka, former Union Ministers D Purandeshwari, V Kishore Chandra Deo and M M Pallam Raju are the other prominant candidates in the fray.
In West Bengal, the Left parties, which had won all the six seats going to polls tomorrow, face a stiff challenge from the ruling Trinamool Congress.
With elections in two constituencies –Baramulla and Ladakh–in Jammu and Kashmir, polling will be completed in all the seven constituencies in the state tomorrow.
In Andhra Pradesh, Seemandhra, comprising the areas of Rayalaseema and coastal Andhra accounting for 25 seats, will vote tomorrow for both Lok Sabha and Assembly. Stakes are high for TDP leader Chandrababu Naidu and YSR Congress leader Jagan Mohan Reddy in the assemble elections to 175 seats there,
Polling will begin at 7 am and continue till 6 p.m. except in sensitive pockets in Bihar where it will end at 4 p.m. In some areas in 10 left wing extremist affected Assembly segments in Seemandhra region of Andhra Pradesh, polling will end at 4 pm, while in eight other Assembly constituencies, it will end at 5 p.m. Election Authorities have made elaborate arrangements for free and fair polling.
In Uttar Pradesh, all preparations for tomorrow’s polling has been completed. A total of 15 constituencies including 2 reserved will be going for poll in this phase. Constituencies are Amethi, Sultanpur, Pratapgarh, Kaushambi, Phulpur, Allahabad, Faizabad, Ambedkar Nagar, Bahraich , Kaiserganj, Shravasti, Gonda, Basti, Sant Kabir Nagar and Bhadohi.
AIR correspondent after visiting several polling stations in Amethi and Sultanpur constituencies reports that polling parties have reached to their respective polling stations by this evening. Security forces are already camping in the poll bound areas and have conducted flag march in sensitive areas to instill sense of security among electorates. Poll authorities have asked the political persons and party workers engaged in electioneering to leave the constituencies after ending of campaigning from where they are not electorates. Raids have been conducted at hotels and guest houses in this regard.
In Amethi, BJP and Aam AadmParty have demanded deployment of central Para Military forces at each and every polling stations expressing their apprehensions for rigging and booth capturing during the voting.
AIR correspondent reports that a total of 243 candidates are in fray including 21 women. Maximum 34 are in contest from Amethi and minimum 10 from Bahraich constituency. The fate of many prominent leaders like Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi, actress turn politician and Rajya Sabha member Smriti Irani of the BJP, AAP leader poet Kumar Viswas , BJP`s Varun Gandhi, Union Steel Minister Beni Prasad Verma, State Congress president Nirmal Khatri , cricketer-turned politician Mohammad Kaif will be decided in tomorrow’s voting.
Congress and BSP have fielded their candidates in all seats while BJP has left Pratapgarh seat to its ally Apna Dal and ruling Samajwadi Party has not fielded its nominee from Amethi supporting Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. In addition to general observers the Election Commission has deputed senior 6 police officers as observer to look after security arrangements and micro observers have also been deployed at several polling stations to keep eyes on poll process.
In West Bengal stage is set for fourth phase of Lok Sabha Elections in the state tomorrow. Elections will be held in 6 Parliamentary seats covering 3 Maoists hit districts, West Midnapur, Bankura, Purulia and Burdwan districts of the state. The elections in 6 Assembly segments of 3 Maoists hit districts will be held from 7 AM to 4 PM. However, polling will be held in other places as per normal schedule.
State Chief Electoral Officer Sunil Gupta told AIR that all arrangements have been completed to ensure free and fair voting. Polling personnel have already started reaching to their destinations. Over 88 lakhs 77 thousand electorates will determine the political fate of 72 candidates. Altogether, 11 thousand 330 polling booths have been opened in 4 districts. Unprecedented security arrangements are in place in Maoist infested areas.
AIR correspondent reports, Besides, 30 thousand state police around 350 companies of Central Paramilitary Forces have been deployed in Maoist hit Jangalmahal and adjacent Asansol. Six anti-landmine vehicles to detect land mines and two Air Force helicopters have also been pressed into service for air surveillance. The Election Commission has reduced the voting hours in Left wing extremism affected 6 Assembly segments of Jhargram, Binpur, Bandwan, Balarampur, Baghmundi and Joypur by 2 hours to avoid any untoward incident. In 2009 Elections Left parties won in all 6 seats in the 4 districts. But havoc erosion took place in this Left bastion in these South Bengal districts in 2011 Assembly Elections. Restoration of peace at Jangalmahal and improvement of life standard of poor people of this region are the main election issues. Important candidates are in the fray include Basudeb Acharia and Bansa Gopal Chowdhury of CPI(M), Prabodh Panda of CPI, actress Munmun Sen and Sandhya Roy of Trinamul Congress, Nepal Mahato of Congress and singer Babul-Supriyo of BJP.
Meanwhile, in Jammu and Kashmir, a day before polling, an Independent candidate from the Baramulla Lok Sabha constituency today withdrew from elections. The candidate Abdul Hamid Malik said he is withdrawing in favour of the PDP candidate. Later he joined PDP.
In Himachal Pradesh, the stage is set for tomorrow’s polling in all the four Parliamentary Constituencies for 16th Lok Sabha and lone Sujanpur Assembly bye elections. Amid tight security polling will start at 0700 hrs in the morning and continue till 1800 hrs in the evening. About 48 lakh electorates would seal fate of 38 candidates in the fray and 7382 polling booths have been set up. State Chief Electoral Officer Narender Chauhan told that for peaceful, smooth and free and fair polling in the state several steps have been taken. Kangra Parliamentary constituency has 12 candidates while Mandi- 9, Hamirpur and Shimla- 10 and 7 candidates respectively. Prominent candidates in the fray are Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh's wife Pratibha Singh, who is contesting the Mandi Parliamentary Constituency for the fourth time, while former Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal's son Anurag Thakur is contesting from Hamirpur for the third time. Vetran BJP leader Shanta Kumar is also in the fray from Kangra Lok Sabha seat .
AIR correspondent reports, remote Bara Bhangal polling booth in the Kangra district, seven member polling party could land this afternoon after three unsuccessful sorties made by Indian Air Force helicopter since morning. The weather was foggy in the area and helicopter was unable to land there. Meanwhile, security has been also beefed up with the sealing of interstate borders as well as all other entry points. In addition to state police about 45 companies of Para Military Forces have been deployed for the smooth conduct of election process.
