First phase of Lok Sabha polls begins amid tight security

INDIAN ELECTION NEWS: The first phase of polling out of five of elections to Lok Sabha has begun on Thursday on a moderate note. This phase of election polls will decide the fate of RJD chief Lalu Prasad, BJP's Murli Manohar Joshi and Yashwant Sinha and TRS president K Chandrasekar Rao.

The voting began in 124 constituencies that is spread across 15 states and 2 union territories. In most places the polling will close at 1700 hrs and in naxal-infested areas at 1500 hrs.

More than 14.31 crore voters are eligible to cast their ballot across 1.85 lakh polling stations in the 124 constituencies set up by the Election Commission and secured by tens of thousands of police personnel.

In today’s poll 154 assembly segments in Andhra Pradesh and 70 in Orissa have also been included.

All over is 20 seats in Kerala, 11 in Chhattisgarh and 2 each in Arunachal Pradesh and Meghalaya, 13 out of 40 seats in Bihar, 16 out of 80 in Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra 13 (48), Andhra Pradesh 22 (42), Jharkhand 6 (14), Orissa 10 (21), Assam 3 (14), Manipur 1 (2) and Jammu and Kashmir 1 (6). Single seats in Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, Mizoram and Nagaland are also being covered in this first phase of election.

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Snippets: First phase of Lok Sabha polls begins amid tight security, Lok Sabha Election, Indian Election, India Election, General Election 2009
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Election Commission gags electronic media on poll coverage

INDIAN ELECTION NEWS: To avoid any type of misuse of electronic media, the Election Commission said on Tuesday that the electronic media cannot telecast anything that has the tendency of influencing voters in areas where elections are to take place, in the 48 hours preceding voting.

Election Commission has also banned dissemination of results of opinion and exit polls by the media in a separate order. This gag on the electronic media is issued under section 126 of the Representation of People's Act. It prohibits displaying of any election matter on television or any related medium 48 hours before poll. This step is taken because it has been seen as unsuitable for multi-phase elections as well as innocent of the ways the media functions.

The TV channels with their satellite uplink beam programmes of all-India relevance which are completely uncircumscribed by the geographical division that the commission wants to enforce.

The step also carries the danger of harassment of the media by local authorities. We can cross check the case of a national news channel that may show a programme on starvation deaths in Andhra Pradesh or else impact of Salwa Judum in the Chhattisgarh which, like most of others, have multi-phase polls.

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Snippets of Election Commission gags electronic media on poll coverage: Indian Election News, Electronic Media, Andhra Pradesh, Chattisgarh, Multi-Phase Polls, Election Commission

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Delhi High Court grants anticipatory bail to Varun Gandhi till March 27

Indian Election News: Varun Gandhi gets a relief, but only till March 27. Delhi High Court restrained police from arresting 29 year old BJP candidate from Pilibhit for making alleged inflammatory and communal speeches during his campaign.

Justice Reva Khetrapal granted Varun's plea. He rejected the submission of Delhi Police that the court had no jurisdiction to entertain the petition as the FIR against him was lodged in Uttar Pradesh (India).

Varun Gandhi in his petition before the Allahabad (Uttar Pradesh) High Court sought quashing of the FIR registered against him in his Lok Sabha election contesting region, Philibit, for his alleged inflammatory and communal speeches.

The High Court today granted anticipatory bail to Varun Gandhi till 27 March. He has got a bail on personal bond of Rs 50,000.

In the morning the lawyers of Varun visited Election Commission’s office to submit his reply on making communal statements. In the reply to the Election Commission, Varun Gandhi maintained that the CD has been doctored.

Labels: Varun Gandhi gets anticipatory bail, Varun Gandhi communal speech, Indian Election News, BJP, India News

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BJD president is following the footsteps of Biju Patnaik: Deve Gowda

Latest news comes from India this hour. After Biju Janta Dal of Navin Patnaik split with the BJP over a seat-sharing issue there is a hope for the Third Front. BJD is in their fold now. But yes, the Orissa Chief Minister is not in hurry to join the Third Front.

Sitaram Yechury, the leader of Left on wrapping up a visit to Orissa told to the press that though he has discussed the seat sharing with Orissa Chief Minister, Navin Patnaik, a formal alliance will take a while.

JD(S) chief H D Deve Gowda and Prakash Karat of Left have already welcomed BJD's breaking up with BJP.

Meanwhile the Orissa Governor on Sunday asked Chief Minister to prove majority on the floor of the House on 11 March. Patnaik currently has a few Third Front MLAs supporting him in his stake to form a government without the BJP.

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Deve Gowda has written to the Navin Patnaik asking him to be part of the Third Front.

Deve Gowda while speaking to the media said that he was happy that the BJD president was following the footsteps of Biju Patnaik (Navin Patnaik’s father).

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