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New Delhi:
The
stage is set for Tuesday's assembly polls in
Maharashtra,
Haryana and Arunachal Pradesh, the first crucial test
of popularity for major
political parties
after the Lok Sabha polls.
While the Congress is in power in Haryana and Arunachal Pradesh, it
shares power with Sharad Pawar-led NCP in Maharashtra where the main
opposition is in the form of Shiv Sena-BJP alliance.
The
Election
Commission has made elaborate security arrangements with special
focus on Naxal-hit areas in Maharashtra to ensure peaceful polling,
which will start at 7 am in all the three states.
The
over four week-long electioneering saw top leaders of
Congress,
BJP and other major players of regional parties hitting the campaign
trail in a big way.
While the campaign was generally peaceful, Naxalites struck in
Gadchiroli in Maharashtra last week, killing 17 policemen in an
ambush and triggering concern among election authorities.
The
EC has deployed as many as 18,000 central police forces in
Maharashtra alone to ensure peaceful polling.
Congress President Sonia Gandhi, party general secretary Rahul
Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh undertook whirlwind
tours
of the three states, where the party is making all-out efforts to
retain power.
Senior BJP leaders L K Advani, Rajnath Singh, Sushma Swaraj, Arun
Jaitley and M Venkaiah Naidu were the opposition stalwarts who
campaigned vigorously.
Stakes are high for Congress which is seeking to retain power in
Maharashtra with its ally NCP for a third consecutive term. The Shiv
Sena-BJP combine is also leaving no stone unturned to wrest power in
the state, which ousted them ten years ago.
Amravati constituency has become the cynosure of all eyes as
President Pratibha Patil's son Rajendra alias Raosaheb Shekhawat of
Congress is pitted against party rebel Sunil Deshmukh in that seat.
In
Haryana, Congress is seeking a second term in office on the plank of
development. The opposition in the state is a house divided with BJP
snapping the tie-up with Om Prakash Chautala's INLD and BSP coming
out of an alliance with Haryana Janhit Congress.
Congress appears to be on a strong wicket in Arunachal Pradesh where
Chief Minister Khandu Dorjee is among three party candidates elected
unopposed.
In
Maharashtra, the NCP, a major partner of the Congress-led coalition,
has been battling hard to retain its position after a poor showing
in the Lok Sabha polls.
Maharashtra has over 7.58 crore eligible voters to elect 288 MLAs,
while Haryana has 1.31 crore electors for choosing 90 legislators.
Arunachal Pradesh has 7.50 lakh voters who can exercise their
franchise to select 60 representatives.
Counting of votes will take place on October 22.
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