At 69%, state 2% short of 2014 polling figure
DOWN, NOT OUT Turnout in 2014 Lok Sabha polls was 71.4% OFFICIAL BOOKED Police also register case against a presiding officer for ‘undue influence’ in Nuh
CHANDIGARH: Haryana registered 69% voter turnout in about 19,000 booths across 10 parliamentary constituencies in the state on Sunday as polling was marred by sporadic incidents of violence, an unsavoury incident involving a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) minister in Rohtak, leading to the arrest of his two aides; and registration of three criminal cases, one against a poll official in Nuh district in Gurgaon constituency. The voter turnout in the 2014 general elections was 71.41%.
Poll officials in Rohtak prohibited the movement of Haryana BJP minister Manish Grover, literally putting him under house arrest, after Congress nominee Deepender Hooda accused him of ‘booth capturing’ and lodged a complaint against him. Hooda accused Grover of entering the polling stations in Rohtak assembly segment in violation of the law and Election Commission guidelines.
Hooda alleged that Grover, an MLA from Rohtak, along with his aides, allegedly entered several booths. His two aides, one of them identified as Ramesh Lohar, a history sheeter, were later arrested by the police. Some cartridges, wooden sticks, fake vehicle registration plates were also recovered from their possession, the police said. The minister, however, denied the allegations and receiving any “house-arrest” directions from the poll officials.
The police also registered two cases— one against the presiding officer of a polling booth in Rewasan village in Nuh segment, Mohammad Shahid, for exercising undue influence and violating the model code of conduct. A police spokesperson said that another person, Wajid of Pipaka village, was booked in Sohna assembly segment, also under Gurgaon constituency, for his alleged attempt to cast bogus vote.
In Sonepat, four persons were injured after Congress and Indian National Lok Dal workers clashed at Salimsar Majra village. In a separate incident, unidentified persons fired aerial shots at a Balmiki colony in Fatehabad, a part of Sirsa constituency. The police said soon after firing the shot, the miscreants fled the spot.
Director general of police, Manoj Yadava said that not a single incident of poll-related violence was reported from anywhere in the state.
“The two incidents of violence reported from Fatehabad and Sonepat districts were not related to the elections,’’ the DGP claimed.
EVM GLITCHES AT AMBALA, Y’NAGAR
Polling was stopped for a while due to a technical glitch in the electronics voting machine (EVMs) at some places in Ambala and Yamunanagar districts. Protesting villagers in Mandoli village of Yamunanagar were pacified by the officials by replacing the EVMs.
THE CONTESTANTS
Former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda is contesting from Sonepat seat while his MP son, Deepender Hooda is seeking a fourth term from Rohtak. The BJP which won seven seats in 2014 has fielded five sitting MPs this time.
The saffron party has also fielded two former bureaucrats— Brijendra Singh from Hisar, and Sunita Duggal from Sirsa.
Two Union ministers, Krishan Pal Gurjar from Faridabad and Rao Inderjit from Gurgaon, are also seeking re-election. Former chief minister Om Pr aka sh Ch au ta la’ s grandson, Ar jun Chautala, was the INLD candidate from Kurukshetra, while his estranged other grandsons, Digvijay and Dushyant Chautala, fought from Sonepat and Hisar on Jannayak Janata Party tickets, respectively.