MP bypolls: 43% turnout till 2 pm, violence at two places

Amid reports of violence at two places in Madhya Pradesh, a total of 43 per cent voters exercised their franchise till 2 pm on Tuesday during voting for bypolls to 28 Assembly seats, officials said.

BJP's Rajya Sabha member Jyotiraditya Scindia cast his vote at a booth in Gwalior district.

Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan reached the BJP office in Bhopal in the afternoon and held discussions with party leaders.

Former MP chief minister Kamal Nath and other senior Congress leaders, including Digvijaya Singh, were monitoring the polling from a control room set up at the state party office in Bhopal.

In Morena district, Congress and BJP supporters clashed at Jatavara polling booth and an unidentified person fired a bullet during the incident, Superintendent of Police Anurag Sujania said.

"A person was injured, but it was not clear whether he received the injury due to the gun shot or was hit by a stick. It will be clear only after medical examination. The injured person was referred to the district hospital for treatment," the official said.

In Bhind, Collector Virendra Singh Rawat said they received a report about gun shots fired near a booth in Sondha village under Mehgaon Assembly constituency, but it was being verified.

Polling began at 7 am with Covid-19 prevention protocols in place and will continue till 6 pm, an election official said.

"A total of 43 per cent voters cast their votes till 2 pm in the state's 19 districts," he said.

The last hour of voting will be for COVID-19 patients and those suspected to be suffering from the disease, he said.

A release issued by the office of MP's chief electoral officer said 63 control units, 65 ballot units and 196 VVPAT (voter verifiable paper audit trial) machines were changed during mock polling conducted before the beginning of voting in the state.

After the voting began, 29 ballot units, 23 control units and 88 VVPAT machines were changed during polling till 11 am across 28 seats of the state, the release said.

A total of 355 candidates, including 12 ministers, are in the fray for the bypolls.

Constituency-wise polling till 2 pm was - Agar 53.64 per cent, Ambah 32.81 per cent, Anuppur 40.38 per cent, Ashok Nagar 37.60 per cent, Badnawar 53.23 per cent, Bamori 55.09 per cent, Bhander 42.36 per cent, Biaora 57.37 per cent, Dabra 36.75 per cent, Dimani 39.98 per cent, Gohad 34.87 per cent, Gwalior 35.45 per cent, Gwalior-East 25.49 per cent, Hatpipalya 49.23 per cent, Jaura 42 per cent and Karera 50.40 per cent.

Besides, Bada Malhara recorded 44.66 per cent voting till 2 pm, Mandhata 36.60 per cent, Mehgaon 39.41 per cent, Morena 34 per cent, Mungaoli 46.79 per cent, Nepanagar 47.60 per cent, Pohari 52.47 per cent, Sanchi 40.32 per cent, Sanwer 48.52 per cent, Sumaoli 34.06 per cent, Surkhi 46 per cent and Suwasra 55.91 per cent, the official said.