New Delhi - Suspected Maoist rebels killed seven people,
including a polling official and two political workers, in separate
attacks in eastern India taking the death toll in the latest
election-related violence to nine, news reports said Friday.
Maoist militants detonated a landmine that blew up a jeep carrying
polling officials in the central Muzaffarpur district of Bihar state
Thursday night, killing four policemen and an election official, the
NDTV network reported.
The incident came hours after voting in the country's second phase
of parliamentary elections ended in Bihar and the officials were
returning from their duties, the report said.
Maoist rebels, who claim to be fighting for India's rural poor and
have called for an election boycott mounted seven attacks in Bihar's
neighbouring Jharkhand state during Thursday's elections.
Later Thursday, Maoist rebels also shot dead two leaders of the
Communist Party of India (Marxist) in the state of West Bengal, the
PTI news agency reported.
Separatist militants from the banned Dima Haolam Daogah, or Black
Widow Group, ambushed an army patrol in the north-eastern Assam
state, killing one trooper and injuring two.
Another person was killed and over 30 were injured in
politcally-motivated clashes in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh.
Bihar, Jharkhand and Andhra Pradesh were among the 12 Indian
states that held the second phase of India's five-stage polls
Thursday. Turnout among the 192 million voters was at more than than
55 per cent.
However, this largest election phase, were 140 seats for the
543-seat parliament were up for grabs, was marred by less violence
than the first one a week ago when 17 people were killed in Maoist
attacks.
A searing heatwave and threats by Maoists kept many people away
from polling booths.
Results of the elections after expected on May 16 after the five
rounds of polling conclude on May 13.
More than 714 million of India's billion-plus population are
eligible to vote in the polls, which are staggered for organizational
and logistical reasons in the world's second-most populous country.
Surveys show that neither the ruling United Progressive Alliance
or the coalition led by the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party
will secure enough seats to form a government.
The polls are likely to result in a weak coalition government with
the main parties seeking support from smaller, regional parties that
have gained power in recent years.
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