NEW DELHI, April 16 (Xinhua) -- Despite violence from
extreme left-wing rebels on the first day of Indian elections Thursday, Indian
voters turned out heavily at the polling stations in the first phase of the
general elections.
Primary estimates said the turnout rate in the
polling on the first day of the marathon polling is above 50 percent.
An Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) is
pictured as polling officials wait for voters inside a polling station in
Gajandi village, about 120 km (74 miles) north of the eastern Indian city
of Ranchi, April 16, 2009.(Xinhua/Reuters Photo) Photo Gallery>>>
"Voting took place amid huge presence of paramilitary
forces," said Jayasudha, a Hyderabad resident in south-central Indian state
Andhra Pradesh, who cast her vote Thursday.
"Early morning, you could see paramilitary forces
escort election officials to polling booths with all equipment necessary. Never
before have I seen such heavy force deployment for polls," she told Xinhua on
the phone.
At a different polling booth, another Hyderabad
resident, Papayamma J. Rao said many people braved extreme heat to cast their
vote.
Voters line up to cast their votes as
security personnel stand guard at a polling booth in Madangundi village,
about 150 km (93 miles) north of the eastern Indian city of Ranchi April
16, 2009.(Xinhua/Reuters Photo) Photo Gallery>>>
"It was overwhelming to see enthusiasm among people
who were out to vote, braving long queues and heat," she said.
Some media reports estimated a 60 percent voter
turnout in Andhra Pradesh, the second most populous state of India after Tamil
Nadu.
Speaking from west Indian state Maharashtra, a local
resident Bharat Hande cited an isolated case of minor violence in Bhandara
constituency of Nagpur area.
Villagers queue up to cast their votes
outside a polling station at Moharipur village in the northern Indian city
of Gorakhpur April 16, 2009.(Xinhua/Reuters Photo) Photo Gallery>>>
"After some minor hiccups, voting continued without
any major obstacle in Nagpur," he said.
"Men carried their aged parents on their backs, and
voter-turnout was reasonably good," another voter, Ram Dev, of central Indian
state Uttar Pradesh said in northern India.
In the restive northeast state of Assam, voting went
on without problem and turnout rate stood at around 65 percent, said officials.
New Delhi student Zo Khiangte, who spoke to her
mother in Karbi, Assam, told Xinhua that people queued up to vote in Assam,
while security forces kept vigil at booths, she said.
In the northeast Mizoram, Nagaland and Meghalaya
states, turnout rate also reached from 60 to 70 percent, while the Manipurstate
bordering Myanmar had a 40 to 50 percent turnout rate, according to primary
estimates by official.
Meanwhile, in violence-shaken Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand
and Bihar, about 50 percent of the voters turned to cast their franchise despite
relentless attacks by the Naxal insurgency rebels who killed at least 18 people
during the day, including seven paramilitary troopers and one
policemen.
JAMMU,
India-controlled Kashmir, April 16 (Xinhua) -- Four months after
India-controlled Kashmir voted in local elections, part of the region voted
again Thursday in the Indian general elections.
Jammu became the first Kashmiri constituency to
participate in the polling Thursday. Voting for five other seats in the region
would take place in the remaining four phases throughout the marathon elections.
NEW DELHI, April 16 (Xinhua) -- Millions of Indian
voters Thursday braved high degree heat and rebel violence to vote in the first
phase of India's general elections.
Six para-military troopers and two home guards were killed
by extreme left-wing rebels in the central state of Chhattisgarh, as rebels
belonging to the Naxal movement insurgency attacked police patrol and polling
stations in several places, said police.
