CAMPAIGNING COMES TO END

VOTING FOR FIRST PHASE ON THURSDAY

The campaigning for the election to the Lok Sabha came to an end in Nanded constituency today evening. In the last 13 days that I am here, there was no trace of hectic campaigning in the constituency. This when the chief minister of Maharashtra, Ashok Chavan represents the district in the Legislative Assembly. His brother in law Bhaskararao Patil Khatgaonkar is the candidate for the seat here. Sambhaji Pawar from Bharatiya Janata Party is his main opponent. Also, Preeti Shinde, a young candidate who has done her MBA in Fashion Marketing from Milan is also oin the fray from the Jan Surajya Party ticket. She has managed to grab much attention because of her credentials as also her campaigning has managed to create a good impression. She is sure to give a run for the money for both of these heavyweight candidates. Besides these three main faces, there are 22 candidates who are in the ring. Two electronic voting machines will have to used for them.

Nanded is one of the 124 constituencies spread over 15 states and two Union Territories going to the polls in First phase on Thursday. A total of 14 crore 31 lakh voters will exercise their right to vote in this phase.

R. Balakrishanan, deputy Election Commissioner said in New Delhi that over one lakh 85 thousand polling stations have been set up and over one lakh polling staff will man them. 1715 candidates are in the fray in this phase. Out of them 122 are women. The violence has started to engulf the electioneering process. In Bihar, activists of outlawed CPI (Maoist) torched off vehicles of contesting Janata Dal (United) candidate in Karakat Parliamentary constituency in wee hours on Tuesday. Maoists also blew up two school buildings by using dynamite at Barachatti in Gaya district.

Bahadur Sonker, Indian Justice Party candidate from Jaunpur in Uttar Pradesh was murdered on Sunday night. The Election Commission has sought a report from the Jaunpur district administration in Uttar Pradesh on the incident. 

In Andhra Pradesh, the campaigning is at its peak in the 22 Lok Sabha and 154 Assembly constituencies where polling is to take place on Thursday. Meanwhile, a new incident surfaced there when Shubha Rani, the president of Women wing of Praja Rajyam Party nearly assaulted a cameraman of NTV Telugu. However, she later apologized for the incident. She was miffed by an attempt of Sting operation.

In Maharashtra, Hingoli parliamentary constituency which is formed after the delimitation will go to the polls in the first phase of the Lok Sabha elections on Thursday. It includes Hingoli, Kalamnuri, Basmat, Kinwat, Hadgoan and Umerkhed assembly constituencies. Bhokar assembly constituency has been excluded and Umerkhed assembly segment from Vidharba region included in this newly framed Lok Sabha constituency.