- Title: INDIA: LARGE NUMBERS TURNOUT TO VOTE IN INDIAN GENERAL ELECTIONS.
- Date: 18th March 1977
- Summary: 1. GV GAILY BEDECKED STREETS IN OLD DELHI 2 ft 2. SV PAN PARTY SUPPORTERS ON TRISHAWA WAVING FLAGS 5 ft 3. GV BUILDING WHERE VOTING TOOK PLACE IN DELHI 7 ft 4. SV CONGRESS PARTY CANDIDATE, MR. SHASHI BHUSHAN, SPEAKING TO SUPPORTERS OUTSIDE POOLING BOOTH. 10 ft 5. SV OPPOSITION JUNTA PARTY CANDIDATE, MR. VAJPAYEE, ENTERING POLLING BOOTH WITH SUPPORTERS 12 ft 6. SV ZOOM INTO CU VOTERS HAVING DYE PLACED ON FINGERS 16 ft 7. SV WOMEN VOTERS QUEUING UP TO VOTE 18 ft 8. SV VOTERS REGISTERING 22 ft 9. SV OLD MAN PLACING HIS VOTE IN BALLOT BOX 27 ft 10. SV VEILED WOMAN REGISTERING TO VOTE 30 ft 11. SV PAN QUEUE OF VOTERS 33 ft 12. SV WOMAN CARRYING CHILD IN POLLING BOOTH (2 SHOTS) 38 ft 13. SV VOTERS QUEUING UP OUTSIDE POLLING BOOTH 41 ft Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 2nd April 1977 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: DELHI, INDIA
- Country: India
- Reuters ID: LVAED5JEUP8A5LFYWMWR5U85CP44
- Story Text: Cities and towns throughout India took on a festive air as campaigning for the Indian general election reached a climax on polling day.
Polling officials reported one of the largest turnouts of voters ever in an Indian general election.
A candidate for the ruling Congress Party in Delhi, Mr. Shashi Bhushan, said the high number of voters would prove to be an advantage to the government.
However, one of his rival, Mr. Vajpayee of the opposition Janata Party, claimed the large turnout would favour the opposition.
To assist in registering voters many polling booths placed dye marks on the fingers of those waiting in the queves.
Although there were isolated incidents of violence and intimidation particularly in the northeastern states of Bihar and West Bengal, the overall picture was one a large number of people voting enthusiastically and peacefully.
After reviewing the situation, the election commission ordered partial re-polling in only eight of the three hundred constituencies because of alleged intimidation and vote rigging.
The large turnout of voters may have been due to the fact that this election is being fought between two major parties and their allies. Past elections have been fought between the ruling Congress Party and a number of smaller divided rivals.
- Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2015. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
