BHOPAL/LUCKNOW/RAIPUR: Amid reports of firing and clashes, the by-elections to 28 seats in Madhya Pradesh recorded around 70% voting. Bypolls to Uttar Pradesh’s seven seats recorded a moderate 53.6% polling while Chhattisgarh’s reserved ST seat saw a high turnout of about 78 % amid strict restrictions due to Covid-19 pandemic.
In MP, the 28 seats covered 17 districts, with maximum polling of 83.75% being reported from the Agar-SC seat of Agar-Malwa district. The minimum 48.15% polling was reported in Gwalior-East seat, the home turf of BJP’s Rajya Sabha member Jyotiraditya Scindia.
The polling percentage was more than the 66.22% voting reported on the same seats during the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, but less than the 72.99% polling reported in the 2018 Assembly polls. Reports of firing near polling booths came from Sumaoli and Mehgaon, both in the Gwalior-Chambal region, which comprise 17 seats. The Congress alleged widespread misuse of official machinery in the Gwalior-Chambal region. Former CM Digvijaya Singh demanded a re-poll on 17 booths, alleging that Congress’ polling agents were not allowed outside those booths.
In Uttar Pradesh, the average voting was much lower than in 2017 Assembly elections when 64.07% polling took place. Among the seven seats which went to the polls, Amroha’s Naugaon Sadat seat recorded the highest 61.50 % voting.
In 2017, this seat had witnessed a huge voting percentage of 76.3%. BJP’s Chetan Chauhan had won the seat. The by-election was necessitated by his death in August. The Marwahi seat in Chhattisgarh saw a high voter turnout. There are eight candidates in the fray, but the real contest is between the Congress and the BJP.