NEW DELHI: Violent incidents, clashes and several killings marked the opening day of the polling in India’s general elections yesterday [Feb 15] when 30 million voters went to cast their votes. Conflicting claims were made by the contesting political parties at the end of the first day’s polls.

In Andhra Pradesh, state three persons were reported to have been murdered early yesterday morning in election disputes. One Communist leader was stabbed to death in Nalgonda district and two others were slain in the village of Gajaravenka.

In Patna, the capital of the drought-stricken state of Bihar, officials suspended voting in three polling booths after a clash between supporters of the Congress Party and those of the Jan Kranti Dal, a newly formed Opposition party consisting chiefly of Congress dissidents. The voting is to be rescheduled later this week.

In Pratappur, another town in Bihar, two persons were stabbed outside a polling booth yesterday afternoon. The incident occurred after a woman voter was challenged by one candidate’s polling agent. Armed Police were rushed to the town and brought the situation under control.

In the southern state of Mysore, Police had to fire tear gas to disperse a crowd in the town of Bidar after persons began looting shops and hurling stones at Police. In Channapatna, another town in Mysore four persons were injured when Police clashed with an unruly crowd of 2,000 persons outside a polling booth. Polling was suspended for 45 minutes. — Dawn-N.Y. Times Service

Published in Dawn, February 17th, 2017