February 14, 2002	Thursday	Zilhaj 1, 1422

NEW DELHI, Feb 13: Millions of people voted on Wednesday in the first leg of make-or break elections which could be a referendum on Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee’s government.

Officials from East Punjab’s capital Chandigarh said 63 per cent of the region’s 15.8 million voters exercised their franchise to decide the fate of 918 candidates vying for seats in the 117-member legislative assembly.

Counting of the votes will take place on Feb 24.

Balloting in one constituency was suspended following the death of a candidate due to natural causes, election commission officials said in New Delhi.

An exit poll by the private Aaj Tak television network predicted a rout of Vajpayee’s Hindu nationalist BJP party and its political ally the Shiromani Akali Dal Sikh party, which currently governs East Punjab.

Aaj Tak said India’s main opposition Congress party, led by Sonia Gandhi, was poised for a landslide victory in East Punjab with a possible win in as many as 91 of the constituencies, with the BJP-Akali Dal on just 17.

Police reported sporadic poll-related clashes which left 22 people injured during the day-long ballot, held under the watchful eye of 60,000 security personnel.

Besides East Punjab, three other states — Manipur, Uttaranchal and Uttar Pradesh — will also be going to the polls to choose new provincial assemblies.—AFP