SRINAGAR,
Apr 20:Amid separatists-sponsored shutdown,
anti-election demonstrations and a series of
grenade and IED blasts, phase-I of the Lok Sabha
elections was conducted smoothly by the Election
Commission of India (ECI) in Kashmir valley
today. Authorities claimed 36% turnout in the
north Kashmir constituency of Baramulla-Kupwara
even as two polling officials and four Police
personnel sustained injuries in a grenade attack
in the PDP candidate’s home segment of
Baramulla. Suspected militants blasted the
vehicle of a non-governmental organisation with
an IED which left two dead and four injured in
Lolab area of Kupwara district..........more
SRINAGAR,
Apr 20:National Conference (NC) president and the
party’s candidate from Srinagar-Budgam Lok
Sabha seat, Omar Abdullah, had a providential
escape when militants targeted him with an IED
blast at Hayyatpora, on Budgam-Beerwah road
today. He has held Mufti Mohammad Sayeed’s
government responsible for
"non-seriousness" over his security as
also that of his father and the former Chief
Minister Dr Farooq Abdullah..........more
JAMMU, Apr 20:Barring
stray incidents of clashes among the
political workers, polling in
Jammu-Poonch Lok Sabha constituency,
which went to the polls today in first
phase of polling, passed off peacefully
with 44.2 per cent electorate exercising
their franchise...............more
JAMMU, Apr 20:Election
Photo Identity Card (EPIC) system
in the Lok Sabha election for
Jammu-Poonch Parliamentary
constituency, which went to the
poll, today proved to be complete
flop after a large number of
voters with EPIC were not allowed
to exercise their democratic
right as their names did not
figure in the voter
lists.........more
JAMMU, Apr 20:Although
response of the voters, by and large, was
dull and lackluster, yet the teen-agers,
who first time got opportunity to
exercise their franchise, were
over-enthusiastic and delighted as there
was feeling among them that they too
became masters to elect their own
Government............more
SUCHETGARH ZEROLINE, Apr
20:There was no fear of Pakistani guns
seen hovering today on the minds of
border electorate, residing hardly 100 to
200 meters away from International Border
in Suchetgarh during this Lok Sabha
elections. The ceasefire agreement
between the two countries infact has
contributed a lot for the peaceful and
smooth conduct of elections along the
entire border belt this time.......more
KHALILABAD (BASTI),
Apr 20:Expressing
satisfaction over the recent thaw in
Indo-Pakistan relations, Prime Minister
Atal Bihari Vajpayee today said both
countries were ready to counter the
menace of terrorism together.............more
BUDGAM, Apr 20:National
Conference patron and former Chief
Minister Dr Farooq Abdullah today
asserted that the powers in Delhi have
always tried to create fissures among the
people of Kashmir by fragmenting Kashmiri
leadership to weaken the cause of the
people of Valley..........more
CHIKKODI
(KARNATAKA), Apr 20:Congress
president Sonia Gandhi today accused
Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee of
"doublespeak", saying he talked
of lofty ideas like `rajdharma’ and
at the same time praised those who have
"destroyed" the ideals of
society and politics..........more
SRINAGAR, Apr 20:Asserting
that National Conference was visualising
its ‘defeat’ in the ongoing Lok
Sabha elections, People’s Democratic
Party (PDP) president Ms Mehbooba Mufti
has accused NC of indulging into
mud-slinging.....more
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