RAIPUR: Bhanupratappur, an assembly constituency reserved for Scheduled Tribes, will vote in a by-poll due Monday amid tight security. The voting will start at 7 am and end at 3 pm in remote areas for the staff posted in remote areas to return safely before sunset.
Besides, strong security measures have been put in place all across the constituency. The by-poll was necessitated following the demise of sitting Congress MLA and Deputy Speaker Manoj Mandavi on October 16.
The counting of votes will be on December 8. A chopper has been kept on standby to meet any emergency situation. The sources said that the security personnel in substantial strength from the battalions have been deployed to ensure fair, peaceful and credible polling.
Interestingly in the tribal-dominated Bhanupratappur constituency, women voters (1,00,555) outnumbered men (95,266). During the campaigning though there were no major Covid-19 restrictions enforced but on the polling day the broad guidelines will be followed.
Covid patients will cast their vote during the last hour of the polling schedule. Historically, the voter turnout at Bhanupratappur was 79.26 percent in 2013 assembly elections and 77.25 percent in 2018 polls. Bhanupratappur will witness a bipolar contest between the Congress and the BJP in another round of poll battle. After the Congress formed the government in December 2018 there were four by-elections so far and the ruling party won in all of them.