India votes in third phase of elections

Voters in Delhi among 100 million Indians casting their ballots on one of the biggest days in five-week-long process. Last updated: 10 Apr 2014 14:07

Voting for the third phase of India's parliamentary elections is under way in 91 constituencies, representing nearly a fifth of the 543-seat in the House of the people. Nearly 110 million people are eligible to vote in the latest phase spread across 11 of India's 28 states and three federally administered union territories, including the capital, New Delhi. Braving the outlawed rebels, people in Maoist-hit areas spread across the states of Jharkhand, Odisha and Chhattisgarh came out to vote. "We have come here to vote because we want an eligible leader to be elected who will work for our welfare and progress. Our main priority is to cast vote and then do anything else," said a voter, Geetanjali, in Gumla district of Jharkhand. But villagers of Sameli, a small hamlet located in Dantewada district in Chhattisgarh abstained from voting after being intimidated by Maoist rebels, Reuters reported. According to election officials, only five people came forward to cast their votes till afternoon. Meanwhile, Soni Sori, a tribal lady and candidate of India's Aam Aadmi (Common Man) Party (AAP) in the constituency came forward to cast her vote. "I feel very sad seeing the situation here, as people are not able to come and cast their votes. It is their helplessness, I understand that, because I have lived in this village. I will not accuse the villagers for this," Sori said. Seats being contested on Thursday are in New Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Haryana, Odisha, Maharashtra, Kerala, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Chandigarh, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Lakshwadeep, and Jammu and Kashmir. The multi-phase elections will be spread over five weeks until May 12, and results are expected on May 16. Polling started on April 7 in two small northeastern states and spread across four northeastern states amid tight security on Wednesday. "A great deal is at stake in these elections, including reputations and political positions," Al Jazeera's Sohail Rahman reported from New Delhi. Web  Security forces have stepped up safety measures to ensure a safe environment for voters. Residents of New Delhi started gathering at the poll stations in the early hours of Thursday under the watchful eye of thousands of police and election authorities. "My vote today will be for a strong leader who will steer away the country from inflation and corruption," Rajan Kumar, 37, a BJP supporter, told Al Jazeera in New Delhi’s Chandni Chowk. "I'll be voting for the new leadership." Al Jazeera's Faiz Jamil, reporting from Gurgaon in Haryana, said improving the economy and infrastructure was an important priority for voters in Delhi's satellite city. Rural areas around Gurgaon, one of India's most modern towns, had seen some effects of growth, but were hoping for more, he said. Hours before polling started, suspected Maoist rebels blew up a jeep carrying paramilitary soldiers, killing two and wounding three others hours before voting began in the eastern Bihar state, the police said. The soldiers were patrolling a forest in a rebel stronghold in Munger district when their jeep hit a land mine nearly 225km southeast of Patna, the state capital, police officer Jitendra Rana told the AP news agency. Maoist rebels have urged people to boycott the elections in the region. However, voting remained unaffected and started as scheduled on Thursday morning, Rana said.