57% turn out despite violence

Four persons were killed — three in West Bengal and one in Rajasthan -— as stray violence, police firing and booth-capturing attempts marred the fourth phase of polling in the Lok Sabha elections, which saw a turnout of 57 per cent.

A political party member was shot dead in Nandigram in West Bengal. A Communist Party of India (Marxist) worker was killed in a bomb attack in Jangipur, where Congress leader Pranab Mukherjee is in the fray. A voter was killed and eight persons, including three policemen, were injured in Asansol Lok Sabha constituency in Burdwan district.

A CPI(M) worker was killed in an attack, allegedly by the Trinamool Congress, at Amta, Howrah district, after polling.

A person was killed when paramilitary forces opened fire to prevent a mob from capturing a booth at Olwara village in Rajasthan’s Sawaimadhopur district.

Despite the violence, West Bengal, where 17 constituencies went to the polls, drew the highest voter turnout — 75% — followed by Punjab (65), Haryana (63), Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh (50 each).

Delhi, where seven seats are up for grabs, saw a turnout of 50%, outdoing Mumbai’s 40%. Among early voters were president Pratibha Patil, vice president Hamid Ansari, Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi, Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah, Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit, Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal, his deputy Sukhbir Singh Badal, Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda and Union minister Kapil Sibal.

BJP president Rajnath Singh (Ghaziabad), Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav (Mainpuri), Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad (Pataliputra), National Conference chief Farooq Abdullah (Srinagar) besides Pranab Mukherjee were big names contesting in this phase.