Election Highlights 2009 | Election Live Streaming 2009 | Election Result 2009 | LOK SABHA ELECTION 2009

Exclusively Election Highlights & Result for 14th LOK SABHA
May 16th, 2009 (use refresh button for new updates)






party vise result click image.

Leads-

UPA:59NDA:161 Third Front:67 Fourth Front:24 Others: 32


• 9:35 pm: Cabinet to meet at 10 am on Monday CNN IBN
• 8:45 pm: Mayawati slams SP and Congress Times Now
• 8:10 pm: Cong to approach President on Monday Times Now
• 7:45 pm: Cong wins 22 seats in UP Times Now
• 7:40 pm: Rahul, Priyanka visist Amethi CNN IBN
• 7:27 pm: Credit for UP victory goes to Rahul: CongressCNN IBN
• 7:26 pm: This is a great and historic victory: Rahul BajajCNN IBN
• 7:25 pm: The whole country has voted for UPA: Priya DuttCNN IBN
• 7:21 pm: Karunanidhi rules out making Stalin CMCNN IBN
• 7:07 pm: Left scripts worst performance in BengalCNN IBN
• 7:04 pm: Cong sweeps Kerala, DelhiCNN IBN
• 7:02 pm: UPA allies to meet tomorrow for govt formationCNN IBN
• 6:50 pm: Cong-DMK leading in Tamil NaduCNN IBN
• 6:50 pm: Cong-Mamata sweep West BengalCNN IBN
• 6:49 pm: Left leadership in Delhi has to change: SomnathCNN IBN
• 6:49 pm: BJD sweeps Orissa pollsCNN IBN
• 6:46 pm: Advani is not quitting active politics: JaitleyCNN IBN
• 6:45 pm: CPI-M has to be more relevant: Somnath CNN IBN
• 6:43 pm: Somnath wants Karat outCNN IBN
• 6:39 pm: Cong set to win in APCNN IBN
• 6:39 pm: Cong keeps key ministersCNN IBN
• 6:38 pm: Cong leading in PunjabCNN IBN
• 6:35 pm: BJP board does not accept Advani's offerCNN IBN
• 6:26 pm: Advani quits as leader of OppositionCNN IBN
• 5:55 pm: Advani likely to quit BJP: SourcesCNN IBN
• 5.45 pm: Leads/results: 543/543; UPA-258 ; NDA-162; Third Front-68; Fourth front: 24, Others-31 CNN IBN
• 5:40 pm: Congress likely to accomodate RJD chief LaluTimes Now
• 5:30 pm: Home Minister Chidambaram wins from Sivaganga, TNTimes Now
• 5:20 pm: 'Left, SP not to be part of Govt'Times Now
• 5:10 pm: Congress to retain Defence, Home, External Affairs and Finance ministriesCNN IBN
• 5.00 pm: Leads/results: 543/543; UPA-258 ; NDA-162; Third Front-67; Fourth front: 24, Others-32 CNN IBN
• 4:50 pm: Lalu Yadav wins from SaranNDTV
• 4:44 pm: SP regrets no Cong tie-upCNN IBN
• 4:40 pm: I congratulate Manmohan and Sonia: Amar SinghCNN IBN
• 4:35 pm: Karunanidhi seeks cabinet seats for Kanimozhi, Azhagiri and MaranCNN IBN
• 4:30 pm: People know what is good for them: Sonia GandhiCNN IBN
• 4:28 pm: Manmohan Singh thanks people of India CNN IBN
• 4.26 pm: Leads/results: 543/543; UPA-259 ; NDA-161; Third Front-67; Fourth front: 24, Others-32 CNN IBN
• 4:16 pm: Rahul must be part of the cabinet: PMCNN IBN
• 4:13 pm: Advani wins Gandhinagar by over 100,000 votesCNN IBN
• 4:10 pm: Breaking away from Congress was a mistake: LaluCNN IBN
• 4:00 pm: RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav loses in PataliputraCNN IBN
• 4.06 pm: Leads/results: 543/543; UPA-260 ; NDA-161; Third Front-66; Fourth front: 23, Others-33 CNN IBN
• 3:55 pm: Hamdullah Sayeed of Congress wins LakshadweepCNN IBN
• 3:50 pm: Mayiladuthurai, TN: Mani S Aiyar losesCNN IBN
• 3:24 pm: Priyanka Dutt wins from Mumbai NorthCNN IBN
• 3:15 pm: Maneka Gandhi losesTimes Now
• 3:00 pm: Jayaprada wins from Rampur seat, UPTimes Now
• 2.55 pm: Leads/results: 543/543; UPA-256 ; NDA-157; Third Front-70; Fourth front: 25, Others-35 CNN IBN
• 2:45 pm: We'll analyse cause of defeat: Vasundhra RajeNDTV
• 2:35 pm: Cabinet to meet on May 18CNN-IBN
• 2:29 pm: We did not project Modi as next PM: BJPCNN-IBN
• 2:25 pm: Delhi led India to vote for good governance: Sheila DikshitCNN-IBN
• 2.25 pm: Leads/results: 543/543; UPA-256 ; NDA-160; Third Front-68; Fourth front: 24, Others-35 CNN IBN
• 2:19 pm: Congress not keen on big alliesTimes Now
• 2.05 pm: Leads/results: 543/543; UPA-254 ; NDA-159; Third Front-70; Fourth front: 25, Others-35 CNN IBN
• 2:00 pm: Congress general secretaries meeting at 4pmTimes Now
• 1:58 pm: Will work much harded for Orissa: PatnaikTimes Now
• 1:56 pm: Naveen Patnaik's BJD sweeps Orissa assemblyTimes Now
• 1:53 pm: Ram Vilas Paswan loses in HajipurTimes Now
• 1:50 pm: Chiranjeevi wins from TirupatiTimes Now
• 1:46 pm: Margaret Alva loses by a margin of 22,000 votesTimes Now
• 1:45 pm: Home MInister Chidambaram loses in Sivaganga, TNTimes Now
• 1:44 pm: JD(S) HD Kumaraswamy wins Bangalore rural seatTimes Now
• 1:40 pm: Kapil Sibal wins from Chandni Chowk, DelhiTimes Now
• 1:37 pm: H D Deve Gowda retains Hassan seat Times Now
• 1:34 pm: Kamal Nath wins from Chhindwara, UPTimes Now
• 1.31 pm: Leads/results: 543/543; UPA-254 ; NDA-156; Third Front-71; Fourth front: 26, Others-36 CNN IBN
• 1:29 pm: Prime MInister to meet Sonia GandhiNDTV
• 1:27 pm: Maneka Gandhi trails by 10,000 votesNDTV
• 1:25 pm: BJP respects people's mandate: JaitleyNDTV
• 1:20 pm: Vidisha, MP: Sushma Swaraj winsCNN IBN
• 1.17 pm: Leads/results: 543/543; UPA-252 ; NDA-156; Third Front-72; Fourth front: 28, Others-35 CNN IBN
• 1:15 pm: Congress sweeps DelhiCNN IBN
• 1.10 pm: Leads/results: 543/543; UPA-251 ; NDA-156; Third Front-72; Fourth front: 28, Others-36 CNN IBN
• 1:05 pm: We will sit in the opposition: KaratTimes Now
• 1.10 pm: Leads/results: 543/543; UPA-251 ; NDA-156; Third Front-72; Fourth front: 28, Others-36 CNN IBN
• 1:05 pm: We will sit in the opposition: Karat Times Now
• 1:00 pm: DMK's Azhagiri wins by 1.41 lakh votesMakkal TV
• 12.58 pm: Leads/results: 543/543; UPA-253 ; NDA-156; Third Front-74; Fourth front: 26, Others-34 CNN IBN
• 12:55 pm: Sonia Gandhi congratulates Manmohan SinghCNN IBN
• 12:50 pm: Congress to retain key ministriesCNN IBN
• 12:40 pm: Third Front should sit in opposition: BardhanNDTV
• 12:32 pm: People have voted for a stable govt: Sharad PawarTimes Now
• 12:30 pm: Manmohan Singh is the undisputed PM: Sharad PawarTimes Now
• 12:22 pm: Party was divided on Modi as PM: BJP CNN IBN
• 12:20 pm: Sivaganga, TN: P Chidambaram leading CNN IBN
• 12.18 pm: Leads/results: 541/543; UPA-250 ; NDA-157; Third Front-77; Fourth front: 27, Others-30 CNN IBN
• 12:10 pm : Most spectacular results since 1977 CNN IBN
• 12:05 pm: UPA doesn't need Left supportCNN IBN
• 12:00 pm : UPA and Fourth Front together cross 272 CNN IBN
• 11:53: Shashi Tharoor wins from Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala CNN IBN
• 11:45 am: Paswan trails by 7000 votes in Hajjipur, BiharCNN IBN
• 11.38 am: Leads/results: 540/543; UPA-241 ; NDA-159; Third Front-79; Fourth front: 31, Others-29 CNN IBN
• 11:35 am: UPA sweeps Kerala, Rajasthan and West BengalNDTV
• 11:30 am: NDA meet this evening to discuss election resultsNDTV
• 11:25 am: Mumbai North central: Priya Dutt leadingNDTV
• 11:24 am: Results unexpected, disappointing: BJPNDTV
• 11:22 am: BJP concedes defeatCNN IBN
• 11.20 am: Leads/results: 525/543; UPA-228 ; NDA-160; Third Front-75; Fourth front: 32, Others-30 CNN IBN
• 11:18 am: TN leads/results: 39/39, DMK: 16, AIADMK: 12, Cong: 4, Others: 7, CNN IBN
• 11.10 am: Sivaganga, TN: Chidambaram trailingCNN IBN
• 11.08 am: Congress set to win Andhra Lok SabhaCNN IBN
• 11.05 am: Leads/results: 516/543; UPA-227 ; NDA-157; Third Front-71; Fourth front: 29, Others-32 CNN IBN
• 11.03 am: DMK ahead in TNTimes Now
• 11.00 am: Naveen Patnaik's BJD sweeps Orissa assemblyNDTV
• 10.58 am: Congress-led UDF wins 16 of 20 seats in Kerala- CNN IBN
• 10.57 am: Samajwadi Party emerging single largest party in UP- CNN IBN
• 10.55 am: UP Leads/results: 74/80; BSP-16 ; SP-24; BJP-11; Congress: 20, Others-1 CNN IBN
• 10.54 am: Left to get a low of 25 - CNN IBN
• 10.52 am: Leads/results: 507/543; UPA-223 ; NDA-154; Third Front-72; Fourth front: 27, Others-31 CNN IBN
• 10.50 am: Trends suggest clean sweep for Congress in DelhiTimes Now
• 10.48 am: BJD chief Naveen Patnaik wins in Orissa by a landslide marginTimes Now
• 10.42 am: Congress makes big gain in UPCNN IBN
• 10.48 am: Leads/results: 502/543; UPA-224 ; NDA-154; Third Front-69; Fourth front: 25, Others-30 CNN IBN
• 10.42 am: Congress makes big gain in UPCNN IBN
• 10.40 am: Kurukshetra, UP: Navin Jindal leadingCNN IBN
• 10.38 am: Leads/results: 498/543; UPA-223 ; NDA-153; Third Front-68; Fourth front: 25, Others-29 CNN IBN
• 10.36 am: Congress-led UDF leading in KeralaTimes Now
• 10.34 am: UPA leading in Punjab, Maharashtra, AP & DelhiTimes Now
• 10.33 am: Madha, Maharashtra: Sharad Pawar leadingTimes Now
• 10.31 am: Leads/results: 490/543; UPA-222 ; NDA-149; Third Front-68; Fourth front: 25, Others-27 CNN IBN
• 10.29 am: Madha, Maharashtra: Sharad Pawar leadingTimes Now
• 10.29 am: Solapur, Maharashtra: Sushil Kumar Shinde leadingTimes Now
• 10.26 am: Andhra heading for hung assemblyTimes Now
• 10.25 am: Leads/results: 485/543; UPA-222 ; NDA-147; Third Front-63; Fourth front: 26, Others-27 CNN IBN
• 10.23 am: Kannur, Kerala: Congress candidate Sudhakaran wins by over 50.000 votesTimes Now
• 10.20 am: AP Assemby leads/results: Chiranjeevi leading in TirupathiTimes Now
• 10.19 am: Varnasi, UP: Murli Manohar Joshi leadingTimes Now
• 10.18 am: Rae Bareli, UP: Sonia Gandi leadingTimes Now
• 10.17 am: Leads/results: 472/543; UPA-214 ; NDA-145; Third Front-61; Fourth front: 24, Others-28 CNN IBN
• 10.15 am: Rae Bareli, UP: Sonia Gandi leadingTimes Now
• 10.14 am: CPM trailing in KeralaTimes Now
• 10.13 am: Dumka, Jharkhand: Shibu Soren trailsTimes Now
• 10.11 am: Ghaziabad, UP: Rajnath Singh leadsTimes Now
• 10.10 am: South Kolkata: Mamata Banerjee leadsCNN IBN
• 10.08 am: Leads/results: 458/543; UPA-215 ; NDA-135; Third Front-56; Fourth front: 24, Others-28 CNN IBN
• 10.06 am: Amritsar, Punjab: Sidhu leadsCNN IBN
• 10.04 am: Leads/results: 453/543; UPA-210 ; NDA-135; Third Front-56; Others-24 CNN IBN
• 10.02 am: Bangalore South, Karnataka: Captain Gopinath trailsCNN IBN
• 09.59 am: Leads/results: 428/543; UPA-199 ; NDA-127; Third Front-54; Others-27 CNN IBN
• 09.56 am: TN trends: 31/39; DMK- 12, AIADMK: 0, Congress-3; PMK-3, Others-3 CNN IBN
• 09.54 am: Amritsar, Punjab: Sidhu trailsCNN IBN
• 09.52 am: Gandhi Nagar, Gujarat: Advani leadingCNN IBN
• 09.53 am: Leads/results: 400/543; UPA-185 ; NDA-120; Third Front-53; Others-25 CNN IBN
• 09.52 am: Gandhi Nagar, Gujarat: Advani leadingCNN IBN
• 09.50 am: Gurdaspur, Punjab: Vinod Khanna leadingCNN IBN
• 09.47 am: Sivaganga, TN: Chidambaram trailingCNN IBN
• 09.46 am: Leads/results: 380/543; UPA-174 ; NDA-114; Third Front-51; Others-24 CNN IBN
• 09.45 am: Chhindwara, UP: Kamal Nath leadingCNN IBN
• 09.43 am: Mayiladuthurai, TN: Mani S Aiyar trailingCNN IBN
• 09.42 am: Central Chennai, TN: Dayanidhi Maran leadingCNN IBN
• 09.40 am: Leads/results: 354/543; UPA-164 ; NDA-109; Third Front-46; Others-16 CNN IBN
• 09.39 am: Maharashtra leads/results: 32/48; Congress-11, NCP-8, BJP-8, SS-5CNN IBN
• 09.38 am: Left heading for worst ever performance in West BengalCNN IBN
• 09.36 am: Congress surges ahead of Left in KeralaCNN IBN
• 09.35 am: AP assembly lead/results: 18/294; Cong- 9, TDP-5, PRP-4, TRS-0CNN IBN
• 09.34 am: UPA projected to win 210 seatsCNN IBN
• 09.32 am: Shocker for Maya in UPCNN IBN
• 09.30 am: Leads/results: 320/543; UPA-146 ; NDA-101; Third Front-43; Others-16 CNN IBN
• 09.29 am: Rampur, UP: Jayaprada trailingTimes Now
• 09.28 am: Vidisha, MP: Sushma Swaraj leadingTimes Now
• 09.28 am: Khammam, AP: Renuka Chwdhury trailsTimes Now
• 09.27 am: Kannur, Kerala: Sudhakaran leadingTimes Now
• 09.26 am: Goa: BJP leadingCNN IBN
• 09.25 am: Maharashtra: UPA ahead of NDACNN IBN
• 09.24 am: Leads/results: 289/543; UPA-136 ; NDA-93; Third Front-35; Others-12 CNN IBN
• 09.22 am: Jangipur, Bengal: Pranab Mukherjee leadsCNN IBN
• 09.21 am: Mumbai north: Priya Dutt leadsCNN IBN
• 09.19 am: Pilibhit, UP: Varun Gandhi leadsCNN IBN
• 09.18 am: Leads: 261/543; UPA-120 ; NDA-88; Third Front-33; Others-10 CNN IBN
• 09.17 am: UP: BJP leading; BSP ahead only in one seatCNN IBN
• 09.16 am: TN: Tight race between DMK and AIADMKCNN IBN
• 09.15 am: Saran, Bihar: Rajiv Pratab Rudy ahead of LaluCNN IBN
• 09.14 am: Leads: 221/543; UPA-94 ; NDA-79; Third Front-31; Others-6 CNN IBN
• 09.10 am: Nitish Kumar heading for clean sweep in BiharCNN IBN
• 09.08 am: Saran, Bihar: Lalu trailingCNN IBN
• 09.06 am: Madurai, TN: Azhagiri leadingCNN IBN
• 09.05 am: Thiruvanathapuram, Kerala: Shashi Tharoor leadingCNN IBN
• 09.05 am: Chhindwara, UP: Kamal Nath trailingCNN IBN
• 09.04 am: Leads: 157/543; UPA-64 ; NDA-54; Third Front-28; Others-5 CNN IBN
• 09.03 am: Amethi, UP: Rahul Leading CNN IBN
• 09.02 am: Patliputra, Bihar: Lalu Leading CNN IBN
• 09.01 am: Leads: 138/543; UPA-55 ; NDA-47; Third Front-29; Others-2 CNN IBN
• 08.58 am: Jaswant leading in DarjeelingCNN IBN
• 08.57 am: Leads: 129/543; UPA-49 ; NDA-44; Third Front-27; Others-2 CNN IBN
• 08.56 am: AP assembly: TDP leadingCNN IBN
• 08.55 am: Azhagiri leading by 4,000 votes in Madurai
• 08.54 am: Ajmer, Rajasthan: Sachin Pilot leadsTimes Now
• 08.52 am: Sivaganga, TN: Chidambaram leadsTimes Now
• 08.50 am: Maharashtra: Milind Deora leading in Mumbai SouthTimes Now
• 08.48 am: UPA ahead so far; Fourth front draws a blankCNN IBN
• 08.47 am: TN leads: Cong- 2, AIADMK - 2, DMK- 1-CNN IBN
• 08.45 am: UP: BJP ahead in early trends-CNN IBN
• 08.44 am: Himachal: BJP ahead-CNN IBN
• 08.42 am: MP: Jyotiraditya Scindia leading in Guna-CNN IBN
• 08.40 am: BJP leading in Karnataka -CNN IBN
• 08.38 am: Congress leading in Telangana -CNN IBN
• 08.34 am: Karnataka: Margaret Alva, Janardhan Pujari of Congress trailing -CNN IBN
• 08.34 am: Left trailing in early trends in Kerala-CNN IBN
• 08.32 am: Gujarat: Congress leading in Mehsana-CNN IBN
• 08.27 am: CPM leading in Kasargode, Kerala-Times Now
• 08.27 am: Kerala: Muralidharan trails -CNN IBN
• 08.26 am: UPA leading in four seats in Kerala -NDTV
• 08.25 am: Darjeeling BJP leads-NDTV
• 08.23 am: HD Kumaraswamy leading in Karnataka-NDTV
• 08.22 am: TDP leading in Vizag, Andhra-CNN IBN
• 08.20 am: Early national trends show lead for BJP-Times Now
• 08.16 am: Andhra assembly results:TDP leading in one seat- CNN IBN
• 08.14 am: PM meets NSA Narayanam- CNN IBN
• 08.10 am: Prez meeting part of consultation process in Govt formation- Times Now
• 08.05 am: President to meet former Attorney General Ashok Desai at 5.00pm today; Ashok Desai was Attorney General of India from 1996 to 1998 - Times Now
• 08.00 am: Counting begins for 543 constituencies - Times Now
• 07.43 am: Each counting centre has one counting hall for every segment of the constituency, one data centre and one media centre
• 07.40 am: Tabulated data to be verified by observers
• 07.38 am: Proceedings in the counting hall shall be video-graphed
• 07.35 am: Random checking of EVMs by recounting of two counted machines after every round by micro-observers
• 07.32 am: A micro-observer at every table
• 07.30 am: Secure arrangements for counting agents of candidates to witness the counting procedure
• 07.28 am: Counting staff deployed: approximately 60,000
• 07.25 am: Total counting halls: 4,260
• 07.20 am: Total counting centres: 1,080
• 07.15 am: 'TDP with 3rd front' - Times Now

He is BACK to Fight: Varun Gandhi out on Parole

The Supreme Court Thursday ordered "forthwith release" of BJP leader Varun Gandhi for two weeks to enable him to file his nomination for Uttar Pradesh's Pilibhit Lok Sabha constituency and campaign for the polls.A bench of Chief Justice K.G. Balakrishanan, Justice P. Sathasivam and Justice J.M. Panchal ordered Gandhi's release, pending a final decision on his lawsuit challenging his detention under the National Security Act (NSA) by the Uttar Pradesh government.The bench ordered Gandhi's temporary release, dismissing the Uttar Pradesh government's stiff opposition.This will enable him to file his nomination by the deadline of April 24."The Bharatiya Janata Party welcomes the Supreme Court decision. Varun Gandhi is an active party worker. He will campaign for the party," BJP spokesperson Balbir Punj told reporters here."Where all he will go and for whom he will campaign will depend on Varun's comfort and demand from candidates to campaign for them - there are a lot of people who want him to campaign for them," he added.The court said Gandhi would be released Thursday after submitting an affidavit to Etah jail authorities, swearing that he will not make provocative speeches during the poll campaign. He would be filing a similar affidavit later to the Supreme Court by Monday.Authorities of the Etah Jail, where Gandhi has been lodged since April 1, said they were waiting to receive the court order to release him. MrV.R. Sharma, Etah jail superintendent says that he think that the court order will come through fax to Etah district magistrate and hence will be passed on to me. We are waiting for the court orders. "The apex court decision will be followed word by word the moment we receive the order and Varun Gandhi will be released within 10 minutes," he added.The Gandhi scion had been arrested after a series of campaign speeches vilifying Muslims, the tapes of which he said had been doctored. His lawsuit challenging invocation of the NSA against him will come up for hearing May 1."We believe when the Uttar Pradesh government's decided to slap the National Security Act, it was acting under vendetta. They grossly misused the act. We didn't trust them then and we don't now," Punj said."Justice has been done partially at least," he concluded, adding that "everything would become clear in the hearing".

India-Maoist: Boycott of All Elections

India general elections 2009 took off with a violent start as at least 17 people were killed as Maoist guerrillas mounted attacks on polling officials and security personnel across four insurgency-hit states.The states that were hit were Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Bihar and Orissa, amongst the 17 states and union territories conducting elections in the first phase, where Maoists tried to implement their poll boycott in a hail of bullets and blasts.In Chhattisgarh, holding elections for its 11 parliamentary seats, five members of a zonal reserve polling team members were killed in a landmine blast detonated by Maoists in Rajnandgaon district.In the second incident, a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) trooper was killed in Maroki village in the Maoist stronghold of Dantewada in an exchange of bullets with guerrillas.Maoist attacks sparked panic at six polling stations in southern Bastar region after the guerrillas opened gunfire soon after voting began, police said.About 20 tribals were in a queue outside the Mangnar polling centre in the interior of Dantewada when the attack took place, resulting in most voters fleeing in panic."Our forces exchanged fire with the Naxalites. The polling booths have been secured," Dantewada Superintendent of Police Rahul Sharma told Times Now news channel.Neighbouring Jharkhand, conducting elections over two phases, saw similar violence with seven Border Security Force (BSF) personnel heading to an election centre killed in a landmine explosion in Latehar district. The bus driver and his assistant were also killed instantly.After the mine exploded, the Maoists opened fire at the bus, triggering a gun battle that ended on a bloody note.The incident took place near a jungle near Aara village, Sarvendu Tathagat, the Latehar district deputy police commissioner, told a news agency over telephone.There were two other gun battles between security forces and Maoists in Jharkhand's Khuti and Palamau districts, disrupting voting in both places, police spokesman K.N. Pradhan said.A policeman and a Home Guard were killed in adjoining Bihar when over a dozen Maoists opened fire at a polling station in Bankebazaar in Gaya district.The rebels looted an electronic voting machine and four rifles. Two women voters in a queue at the polling centre were injured and were hospitalised.In Orissa, the Maoists raided four polling stations and set fire to voting machines and a vehicle in Malkangiri and Sundargarh districts, the authorities said.Three of the polling stations were in Malkangiri district and one in Sundargarh. The attacks disrupted polling, Inspector General of Police Sudhanshu Sarangi told the news agency."In one village, they burnt voting machines and an Election Commission vehicle," police officer Satyabrata Bhoi said.The outlawed Communist Party of India-Maoist, which seeks to carry out an agrarian-based revolution, routinely calls for a boycott of all elections. It often enforces its boycott call with deadly attacks.

Indians Start Voting

In tiny villages and sprawling concrete cities, tens of millions of Indians voted Thursday at the start of a monthlong process expected to yield no clear winner as this Asian giant grapples with global economic malaise.
The vote is the first of five phases in which some 714 million people — more than twice the population of the United States — will be eligible to cast ballots. More than 140 million were eligible to vote Thursday.
There were scattered reports of violence by Maoist guerrillas, including six soldiers killed Thursday morning in the eastern state of Jharkhand and three election officials kidnapped, but authorities were hoping for a strong turnout even in India's most troubled region.
"People want democracy to triumph," said Tarun Gogoi, the top official in the insurgency-wracked northeastern state of Assam.
In an isolated Assamese town, set amid one of the state's most violent regions, 30-year-old homemaker Monalisa Bordoloi Chakravarty was among hundreds of people lining up Thursday morning at a neighborhood polling station. The guerrillas, who are fighting for an ethnic Assamese homeland, insist voters should boycott the election.
"I am aware of the threat by militants, but one can't stay at home out of fear," she said.
Media reports indicated polling was brisk in the morning but that it slowed as noon approached — bringing scorching summertime temperatures that hit 105 degrees Fahrenheit (41 Celsius) in many parts of the country.
"The heat is keeping people indoors and preventing them from voting," said Lala Pandey, a voter in the town of Gaya in eastern Bihar state.
With more than 1.2 billion citizens, India normally holds staggered elections for logistical and security reasons.
Results of the massive election, which will use more than 1.3 million electronic voting machines in 828,804 polling stations, are expected May 16.
But few expect a clear mandate from Indian voters after a lackluster campaign that has been devoid of a central issue, mirroring a country fragmented by differences of region, religion and caste.
Polls indicate neither the Congress party, which leads the governing coalition, nor the main opposition, the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party, will win enough seats in the 543-seat lower house of Parliament to rule on their own. That means the elections will likely leave India with a shaky coalition government.
On Thursday, 124 seats in the lower house were up for grabs.
Congress, which is ending a five-year stint in power, has seen its main achievement — India's spectacular economic growth, which has averaged more than 8 percent in recent years — hit by the global economic crisis.
It also has faced severe criticism for the bungled handling of the Mumbai terror attack in November, when 10 gunmen rampaged through the city for three days, killing 166 people.
The BJP also is in disarray. Its leadership is aging and fragmented, its anti-terror line was criticized as too harsh in the wake of the Mumbai attacks, and it has been blamed for stoking tensions between India's Hindu majority and large Muslim minority.
The two main parties also have seen their support eroded by regional parties focused on local issues or on particular castes in the country's complex Hindu social system.
The first phase included central and eastern states battered by attacks by Maoist militants, leading to the deployment of tens of thousands of soldiers and police.
Early Thursday, suspected rebels triggered a land mine, killing six paramilitary soldiers patrolling in the eastern state of Jharkhand, police said.
Reinforcements were sent to secure the area in Latehar, about 80 miles (130 kilometers) northwest of Ranchi, the state capital, superintendent of police Hemant Topo said.
Elsewhere in the state, three election officials were kidnapped by the rebels, state police spokesman S.N. Pradhan said, adding that there were no other details from the remote area.
In the neighboring state of Bihar, suspected rebels attacked a polling station in Gaya district, killing two security officials, the area's Deputy Inspector General Anupama Nilokar said.
The guerrillas, known as Naxalites, have fought the government for decades in a handful of rural regions, charging authorities with plundering natural resources while providing little to local residents. Since Saturday, nearly 20 police officers have died in their attacks.

Maoists : polling booths on fire in Malkangiri

Malkangiri (Orissa) : Maoists set afire at least three polling booths, electronic voting machines and other poll material in Orissa's Malkangiri district on Thursday, disrupting voting in the area.
The ultras, who have given a call for poll boycott, struck at Andrahal in Chitrakonda area setting ablaze a vehicle on election duty and two EVMs after tying the hands of poll officials, Malkangiri district collector Nitin Bhanudas Jawle said.
As a result, polling could not be held in the booth, he said.
Two polling booths were set ablaze by the Maoists in Salimarikonda and MV-73 in Kalimela police station area, Superintendent of Police Satyabrata Bhoi said, adding the EVMs in the booths were also set afire by the ultras.
The Maoists also blocked roads in Mathili area of the district by felling trees and placing boulders preventing movement of polling officials as well as voters.
Due to Maoist threat, not a single vote was cast in Badigata polling station in Kalimela area during the first two hours of voting with people failing to turn up.
Polling remained very low elsewhere in the district, particularly in areas covering Chitrakonda and Malkangiri assembly constituencies.

Disrupt Polling :Maoists attack Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Orissa

Raipur/Ranchi/, Bhubaneshwar : As the voting for the 15th Lok Sabha is underway, Maoists attacked polling booths and secuitry personnel in Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Orissa.
In Jharkhand, six Border Security Force (BSF) personnel were killed in a landmine blast in Latehar district.
According to police, Maoists detonated the landmine when the BSF personnel were travelling in a bus to a polling station near Aara village, about 140 km from the state capital. Later, Maoists ambushed the BSF bus.
Meanwhile, heavy exchange of fire has been reported from Chhattisgarh and Orissa.
Maoists began fire at six polling stations in Chhattisgarh’s Bastar region after the voting began this morning, police said.
According to reports, Maoists fired at six booths in Dantewada and Narayanpur districts. However, there were no reports of any causalities.
The voting will end in Bastar and Kanker seats by 3:00 p.m., while polling stations in the other nine seats will close at 4:00 p.m.
In Orissa, Maoists attacked a polling booth in Andrahill village and set fire to voting machines and a vehicle in Malkangiri district.
The Maoists have called for a complete boycott of the polls in the state.