Violence mars campaign end, Naxals call for bandh

Hyderabad, June 26 (UNI) Campaigning for the first phase of two-tier elections to Panchayatraj Bodies across 11 districts of Andhra Pradesh came to an end today on a violent note, even as Maoists called for poll boycott and a bandh on June 28.

Congress rebel candidate K Illiah was murdered in Gudur in Warangal District early today, leading to violence, which forced police to open fire and clamp prohibitory orders.

Asked if polling would be suspended in wake of the death, Election Commission Secretary G N Rao, who reviewed the situation with the Warangal District Collector, told reporters that only when a candidate of a recognised party died, polling had to be suspended.

In all over 1.98 crore people, including over one crore women will decide the electoral fortunes of 2126 candidates for 572 ZPTC seats and 23,000 candidates for 7915 MPTC seats in the first phase in Adilabad, Anantapur, East Godavari, Kadapa, Karimnagar, Krishna, Kurnool, Medak, Nalgonda, Prakasam and Vizianagaram districts.

As many as 353 MPTC and five ZPTC candidates have won uncontested.

The SEC banned electioneering in electronic media 48 hours before the hour fixed for poll closure and announced dry days in polling areas and upto a distance of five km in neighbouring districts.

Conceding a request from major parties during an all party meeting held earlier today, the SEC told district election officers to accept list of names of polling agents upto 1100 hrs on the day before poll.

Printing of ballot papers was over for polls to be held in 25,831 polling stations, he said, adding, 65,119 polling boxes, red-coloured for ZPTC polls and white-coloured for MPTC polls, were arranged.

Announcing a bandh to protest the killing of colleagues by police in 'fake encounters', the CPI(Maoist) urged the people to boycott the polls, claiming that the elections were nothing but a farce.

UNI SM AD VP1750