New Delhi - Around 125 million Indians, guarded by tens of thousands of security officers, voted yesterday as the world's largest democracy returned to elections for the second time in two years. Some 250 million of India's 600 million voters are eligible to take part in the first of four phases of staggered balloting that ends on March 7th.
Yesterday's voting was marred by at least 22 deaths in bomb attacks on security and poll personnel and in armed clashes between rival political activists in eastern states.
Up to 20 people, including six troopers and poll officials, were killed in Bihar, where 1,100 people were arrested.