70 Percent voting amid violence

The Samras gam dream of chief minister Narendra Modi was torn to tatters after incidents of violence marred the gram panchayat elections on Sunday with reports of booth capturing, group clashes and other violent incidents pouring in from all parts of the state. The state election commission put the preliminary figure of voting at more than 70 percent. The gram panchayat elections turned bloody after the contestant for tile post of sarpanch in the Narmada district was killed on Saturday night. The police resorted to firing at various places in the state to quell violence whereas voting was postponed at several places. Voting percentage that hovered around 30 to 35 percent by noon on Sunday picked up by evening and touched 70 percent.

Elections were held on 42,142 seats with 7,988 candidates in the fray for the post of sarpanch. As per the state election commission, voting was reported to be more than 70 percent in Gandhinagar, Jamnagar, Anand, Banaskantha, Vadodara and Panchmahals, 60 to 70 percent in Rajkot, Junagadh, Porbandar, Amreli, Sabarkantha, Ahmedabad, Kheda, Narmada, Dahod, Bharuch, Patan and Surendranagar and about 55 to 60 percent in Bhavnagar, Kutch, Mehsana and Surat.

The state election’ commissioner had announced elections in, more than 10.000 gram panchayats, of which elections were held in 7,988 gram panchayats with about 2,791 gram panchayats having been declared elected through consensus. The state election commission had declined 5,953 of the total 15,000 election booths as "sensitive". Despite’ the tight security arrangements made for she elections, several incidents of bogus voting and group clashes were reported.

The elections in Saurashtra remained peaceful except for a few incidents. State election commissioner P.J. Dholakia said the gram panchayat election was suspended for the post of sarpanch in the Malekness gram panchayat in Khambhat taluka in Amreli district, Bela gram panchayat in Gariyadhar taluka in Bhavnagar district, one ward in Santalpur gram panchayat in Vanthali taluka in Junagadh district, Rakhial gram panchayat in the Dehgam taluka in Gandhinagar district due to faulty printing of the symbols of rival candidates. District collectors have been directed to hold fresh elections in these gram panchayats.

The state election commission has suspended elections and ordered fresh elections following incidents of firing in the Demai gram panchayat in Bayad taluka in Sabarkantha district, violence in Rupal gram panchayat in Talod taluka, stone pelting in the Kaveetha gram panchayat in Bavla taluka in Ahmedabad district and clashes, violence and stone pelting in Nandesari gram panchayat in Vadodara taluka, Pali gram panchayat in Thasra taluka in Kheda district, Kakadva gram panchayat in the Nandod taluka in Narmada district in view of the seriousness of the incidents.

The Ahmedabad district has recorded an estimated 60 to 65 percent voting. Elections were postponed in the Kakadva village in the Narmada district after the candidate for the post of sarpanch was killed on Saturday night. Several incidents of group clashes, stone pelting and booth capturing have also been reported.

State election commissioner P.J. Dholakia said the incidents of violence were trivial if one compares it to 1995. "There were 7,988 candidates in the fray for the post of sarpanch and 42,142 candidates contesting as members for the various gram panchayat seats. With about two crore voters 10 incidents of violence throughout the state can be considered negligible," he said.

"I am satisfied with the peaceful conduct of the elections and the abundant police bandobast," said Mr. Dholakia. He also expressed gratitude for the cooperation received from the sate machinery in the conduct of the elections.

Republished from The Asian Age