Brisk voting in Himachal by-elections

November 7th, 2009 RAIPUR - Thousands voted Saturday in the Vaishali Nagar assembly constituency in Chhattisgarh, with the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) hoping to retain the seat despite a strong Congress challenge. Up to 30 percent of about 211,000 voters had exercised their franchise by noon, an official said.

October 23rd, 2009 SHIMLA - The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) will not contest the Himachal Pradesh by-elections to two assembly seats next month, a party leader said Saturday. "We have decided not to contest the by-elections in Himachal Pradesh this time, but we will support non-Congress and non-BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) candidates," CPI-M central committee member and state secretary Rakesh Singha told IANS.

October 19th, 2009 SHIMLA - The Congress Monday took the lead in filing nomination papers for the bye-elections in two assembly constituencies of Himachal Pradesh. "Manjit Singh Monday filed the papers for the Rohru constituency," the state's Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Anil Khachi told IANS.

October 14th, 2009 SHIMLA - The two major political parties in Himachal Pradesh, the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Wednesday did not name their candidates even as nominations opened for the by-elections to two assembly constituencies. Rohru and Jawali constituencies fell vacant after the respective legislators from there - Virbhadra Singh and Rajan Sushant - contested and won the Lok Sabha elections in May.

October 13th, 2009 ITANAGAR - Moderate to brisk polling was recorded by noon Tuesday for assembly elections in the northeastern state of Arunachal Pradesh held amid heightened security measures, officials said. "By and large voting is going on peacefully with an estimated 30 percent polling conducted till midday," an election official said.

August 18th, 2009 CHENNAI - Despite a boycott call by major political parties, polling got off to a brisk start in the five Tamil Nadu assembly constituencies where by-elections were being held Tuesday. Polling in Bargur, Tondamuthur, Cumbum, Illayangudi and Srivaikundam started at 7 a.m.

May 13th, 2009 SHIMLA - Himachal Pradesh registered an over 58 percent voter turnout in its four Lok Sabha constituencies that went to the polls Wednesday. 'The elections in the four parliamentary constituencies of Himachal Pradesh concluded peacefully this (Wednesday) evening.

May 13th, 2009 CHENNAI - Brisk polling was witnessed in the first four hours in 39 parliamentary constituencies of Tamil Nadu and the lone seat in the union territory of Puducherry where general elections were underway Wednesday. Most voting stations opened at 7 a.m.

April 30th, 2009 GANGTOK - Sikkim registered a record voter turnout of 83 percent Thursday as it held simultaneous assembly elections and balloting for its lone Lok Sabha seat in the third phase of the elections. The percentage Thursday is higher than the 82 percent registered in 1999.

April 23rd, 2009 GUWAHATI - Moderate to brisk polling was recorded till noon Thursday for the second and final phase of parliamentary elections in Assam, while a soldier of the Indian Army was killed and two wounded in an ambush by tribal separatists in Assam's North Cachar Hills district that had gone to the polls earlier. 'By and large voting is going on peacefully with moderate to brisk polling recorded in all the 11 parliamentary seats with an estimated 33 percent polling conducted till 12 noon,' an election official said.

April 21st, 2009 SHIMLA - Maheshwar Singh, three-time Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP, filed his nomination papers from Mandi constituency of Himachal Pradesh Tuesday. Maheshwar Singh, who is scion of the erstwhile Kullu ruling family, has been pitted against Virbhadra Singh, who belongs to the former royal family of Bushehr state.

April 16th, 2009 GUWAHATI - Moderate to brisk polling was recorded in the first three hours of voting Thursday for the first phase of parliamentary elections in India's northeastern region amid heavy security, officials said. 'By and large voting is going on peacefully with moderate to brisk polling recorded in all the 10 parliamentary seats in the northeast,' an election official said.

April 16th, 2009 THIRUVANANATHAPURAM - Brisk voting was underway in all of Kerala's 20 Lok Sabha constituencies Thursday morning, where the main contest is between the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) and the opposition Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF). Heavy polling was reported in cities across the state and especially in the coastal areas, with more than five percent votes having been cast in cities and four percent in rural areas at the end of the first hour.

April 16th, 2009 GUWAHATI - Moderate to brisk polling was recorded till midday Thursday for the first phase of parliamentary elections in India's northeast, with Assam witnessing an estimated 40 to 50 percent vote. 'By and large voting is going on peacefully with moderate to brisk polling recorded in all the 10 parliamentary seats in the northeast,' an election official said.

December 23rd, 2008 SRINAGAR/JAMMU - The crucial last phase of the staggered Jammu and Kashmir polls saw moderate to brisk voting in the two capitals of the state Wednesday during which minor clashes between police and anti-election protesters broke out in Srinagar. The state was a study in contrasts on the last day of the seven-phase polling, with long queues outside polling booths in Jammu but lower turnout in Srinagar.