There were contrasting pictures in Assam hill districts where a group of militants voted to strengthen democracy while another banned outfit resorted to violence to disrupt the second phase of polling, which witnessed about 75 per cent turnout.
The state witnessed 87 cadres of the banned Dima Halam Daogah cast their votes in two polling stations -- the hill districts of Northcachar hills and Karbi Anglong.
Forty-seven cadres of the militant group, which is in a ceasefire with government of India forces since January 2003, voted in Haflong constituency in North Cachar Hill district.
-
Complete Coverage: Assembly Elections 2006
Forty other members of the DHD voted at Dhansiri in Karbi Anglong hill district. The chairman of the militant group Dilip Nunisa cast his vote at the polling station in Government Girls High School in Haflong.
Three security personnel were seriously injured and another security man was kidnapped as tribal militants belonging to Karbi Longri Northcachar Liberation Front, which had called for a boycott of the polls, struck in Howraghat and Bokajan constituencies in Karbi Anglong hill district.
In other parts of the state polling remained by and large peaceful with an Election Commission source putting the polling percentage at about 75 %.
Militants of KLNLF triggered an explosion under Howraghat LAC critically injuring two Border Security Force jawans who were later shifted to Guwahati Medical College Hospital.
A Central Reserve Police Force jawan was injured when KLNLF militants ambushed a polling party in Bokajan LAC while they were returning on foot from remote Borpung polling station. Another CRPF personnel was abducted by the same group of militants from Lungnite polling station under Howraghat LAC in the wee hours.
Also See:
Rediff's Election Blog
Complete Coverage: Assam Polls
More from rediff