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general elections 2019

infested districts comprising Koraput
and Malkangiri have been covered in
the first phase of polling. The voters’
behavior in these areas, which were a
part of the Madras presidency during
thirties, differ with the rest of the state.
The polling in first phase in four Lok
Sabha constituencies and 28 Assembly
seats were conducted peacefully, while
in the neighbouring Chhattisgarh a BJP
legislator was killed.
It took place in Koraput, Nabarang-
pur, Kalahandi, Berhampur Lok Sabha
constituencies and 28 Assembly seats
under them. The para-military troops
were deployed formore than 60 lakh
voters are to exercise their franchise in
7233 polling booths. Out of them 2375
booths have been identified as critical
polling booths. In Malkangiri, the EVM
were transported by helicopters.
In this region, the main fight is be-
tween Biju Janata Dal and the Con-
gress Party. The BJP could not dent in
these tribal areas. It has presence in the
coastal districts only. However, at Jey-
pore, the business hub of the Koraput
district, BJP is trying to woo voters, but
sible for the death of innocent people, it could not make much impact so far.
or someone in the ruling party calling
him chaiwala or a tea vendor. Rahul Changing mood
and his supporters in private conversa- The poll strategists of the ruling BJP,
tions express their gratitude to the dirty who must have been worried due to
politicking cell of the ruling party for the apathy of the party volunteers in
making false and irresponsible com- some parts of UP, feel elated from the
ments making him a central figure in ing across the country is to take place much better response from the coastal
the country’s political stage. on April 18, 2019. The three states Uttar Andhra Pradesh and a part of Odisha.
There was heavy polling during the Pradesh (UP), Bihar and West Bengal In spite of clashes in Andhra Pradesh
first phase except in a few areas of Jam- will be voting during all the seven phas- in which two people were killed, BJP is
mu and Kashmir, where the electorate es of the ongoing elections. confident that it is going to have a pres-
dared the terrorists and case votes. The The second phase on polling in UP ence in this coastal state with its ally
polling was 35 per cent. It was much will witness polling in Mathura, where YSR Congress. It goes to the credit of BJP
more than expected in the strife-torn film star Hema Malini is contesting leadership that it ended its alliance with
region. Except the killing of a sitting again on the BJP ticket along with Agra TDP to reap bigger political gains in the
legislator of Chattisgarh in the Naxal- and Aligarh. The three constituencies state, where the perception is that Sonia
infested district of Dantewala, the elec- in West Bengal that will include Dar- Gandhi has deliberately ensured its bi-
torate from the cool Jammu-Kashmir jeeling and five constituencies in Bihar furcation, and Jagan Reddy was falsely
and the vast north-eastern region will vote on this day. These states elect implicated in false cases by the UPA
comprising Arunachal to the warmer as many as 162 Lok Sabha members. UP government.
climate of coastal Andhra Pradesh, the alone sends 80 members to Lok Sabha. Jagan’s father, YS Rajsekhar Reddy,
polling was peaceful. The states of Bihar and West Bengal had died in a helicopter crash within
The Election Commission of India elect 40 and 42 seats respectively. a year of being elected as the chief
on March 10, 2019, had announced a minister of the state. He had trounced
seven-phase elections schedule for the Odisha polling TDP by his aggressive pro-farmer poli-
Lok Sabha polls.The second phase poll- The southern Odisha, the Naxalite- cies, but he lost favor of the Congress

Tehelka / 30 april 2019 23 www.Tehelka.com