Dadra and Nagar Haveli Lok Sabha bypoll: 23% voting till 11 AM

The bye-election was necessitated due to the death of sitting MP Mohan Delkar, who was found hanging at a hotel

A voter turnout of 23.44 per cent was recorded till 11 AM in the bypoll to the Dadra and Nagar Haveli Lok Sabha constituency on Saturday where a triangular contest is on among candidates of Shiv Sena, BJP, and Congress.

Officials said the polling largely remained peaceful so far.

This bye-election was necessitated due to the death of sitting MP (Independent) Mohan Delkar, who was found hanging at a hotel in Mumbai on February 23.

Delkar, who had been a member of both the Congress and the BJP at different times of his political career, was elected seven times to the Lok Sabha from Dadra and Nagar Haveli.

In 2019, he had won the seat as an independent by defeating then sitting MP Nathubhai Patel of BJP by a thin margin of 9,001 votes.

Officials of the Election Commission (EC) said 23.44 per cent voting was recorded in the first four hours till 11 AM after voting began at 7 AM in the Dadra and Nagar Haveli constituency.

Voting is underway across 333 booths and tight security arrangements have been made with the deployment of 10 companies of paramilitary forces, officials said.

There are a total of 2.58 lakh voters in this constituency, including 1.36 lakh male voters and 1.22 lakh female voters, the officials said, adding that around 1,500 people were deployed for election duty.

The Shiv Sena and the Congress are constituents in the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government in Maharashtra, but they are contesting against each other in Dadra and Nagar Haveli.

The counting of votes will be taken up on November 2. Delkar's widow Kalaben Delkar is contesting from Shiv Sena against Mahesh Gavit of BJP and Mahesh Dhodi of Congress.