- Title: INDIA: WEST BENGAL VOTERS GO TO THE POLL.
- Date: 10th February 1969
- Summary: POLLING STATION SCENES; VOTERS QUEUING; PEOPLE VOTING. Initials PK/V/BHH/OS Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 25th February 1969 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: WEST BENGAL, INDIA
- Country: India
- Reuters ID: LVA57ZNMPDSJV55CSZ3B80X2P68G
- Story Text: COUNTING OF VOTES STARTED TODAY (MONDAY) FOLLOWING ASSEMBLY ELECTIONS IN THE FOUR INDIAN STATES OF WEST BENGAL, BIHAR, PUNJAB AND PART OF UTTAR PRADESH, YESTERDAY. THE ELECTION WAS MARRED BY VIOLENCE IN WHICH AT LEAST SIX PEOPLE WERE KILLED. FOURTEEN PEOPLE WERE INJURED IN CLASHES IN CALCUTTA, CAPITAL OF TURBULENT WEST BENGAL, BUT GENERALLY VOTING WAS PEACEFUL.
DESPITE STRONG POLICE PATROLS IN THE FOUR STATES, THERE WERE SEVERAL MINOR CLASHES AT POLLING CENTRES.
FOR SEVERAL MONTHS, THE FOUR STATES HAVE BEEN UNDER DIRECT PRESIDENTIAL RULE BECAUSE OF POLITICAL INSTABILITY WHICH FOLLOWED THE 1967 GENERAL ELECTIONS.
IN YESTERDAY'S ELECTIONS, THE INDIAN CONGRESS PARTY, LED BY PRIME MINISTER MRS. INDIRA GANDHI, WAS MAKING A DESPERATE BID TO WIN BACK THE POWER IT LOST IN AND AFTER THE 1967 POLL.
OPPOSITION PARTIES, IN AN EFFORT TO DEFEAT THE CONGRESS PARTY, COMBINED IN THE UNITED FRONTS.
THE FOUR STATES, WHICH FORM AN ALMOST UNBROKEN BELT ACROSS INDIA BETWEEN EAST AND WEST PAKISTAN, HAVE A TOTAL POPULATION OF NEARLY 200 MILLION.
RESULTS OF THE ELECTION ARE EXPECTED TO BECOME AVAILABLE IN THE NEXT TWO DAYS.
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