Amidst shadow of raids and violence, voting in second phase of Lok Sabha poll ends

In the midst of violence and raids across the country, the second phase of polling has ended with a better performance but the attacks on MP’s and media has led to a question over peaceful voting and the security arrangements.

In Karnataka, where 14 seats out of 27 were on stake, supporters of HD Kumaraswamy’s son Nikhil Gowda and Sumalatha Ambareesh, the widow of actor-politician Ambareesh started fighting with each other. The sate polled around 49.26% until 3pm.

Due to firing by security personnel at the crowd in Inner Manipur, the voting was halted as the crowd tried to barge in to the poll booths. The state had polled 67.5% until 3 pm.

In West Bengal, where polling took place at 65.15%, violent incidents were reported when CPM MP Mohammad Salim’s car was attacked with bricks during the polling in Islampur. Salim narrowly escaped but he alleged that it was the “Trinamool goons” who attacked and hurled bricks at his convoy.

Polling in Odisha and Assam also took place today with 43.94% and 59.52% voting until 3 pm.

The 38 seats of Tamil Nadu with one in Puducherry were on stake today along with the 18 seats of the Assembly went into by-poll after the MLA’s were disqualified for defecting to the TTV Dhinakaran’s faction. Polling in Tamil Nadu touched 52.02% until 3 pm.

In the second phase of election, 1,295 candidates luck were on stake with 95 constituencies on offer in 12 states and one Union Territory. The results of all the seven phases will be announced on May 23.

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