Bhopal, Nov 3 (UNI) Approximately 15 per cent of an electorate exceeding 63.67 lakh exercised their franchise without incident until 1000 hrs amid tight security on Tuesday across 28 Assembly constituencies of Madhya Pradesh that are witnessing by-elections, it was officially learnt.
Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Congress state President Kamal Nath separately appealed to voters to fulfil their duty as citizens.
The voting timings are 0700-1800 hrs.
A total 9,361 polling centres – including 3,038 critical ones – have been set up and COVID-19 prevention guidelines are being followed in letter and spirit. There are 358 vulnerable hamlets. Counting is scheduled on November 10. As many as 355 candidates are trying their fortune and that figure includes a dozen ministers. A total 13,115 ballot units; as many control units and 14,050 Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail ones were supplied.
Ninety minutes prior to commencement of polling, mocks were conducted in the presence of nominees’ agents. Police personnel, magistrates and mobile teams have been deployed. After conclusion of voting, the electronic voting machines shall be sealed under the watchful eyes of central observers and the process subjected to videography. The strongrooms will be under Central Reserve Police Force jurisdiction.
By-elections are being witnessed in Jaura, Sumaoli, Morena, Dimani, Ambah, Mehgaon, Gohad, Gwalior, Gwalior East, Dabra, Bhander, Karera, Pohari, Bamori, Ashok Nagar, Mungaoli, Surkhi, Malhara, Anuppur, Sanchi (Scheduled Castes), Biaora, Agar, Hatpipliya, Mandhata, Nepanagar, Badnawar, Sanwer and Suwasra. Sixteen of these are within Gwalior and Chambal divisions. Twenty-five of the seats were rendered vacant owing to resignations of lawmakers while by-polls were necessitated vis-à-vis the remainder on account of demises. As many as 27 were under Congress control while the saffron banner fluttered only over Agar.
In the 230-member Vidhan Sabha; the Bharatiya Janata Party controls 107, Congress 87, Bahujan Samaj Party two and Samajwadi Party one. There are four independents. Damoh is not witnessing voting as it became vacant very recently due to Mr Rahul Singh (Cong) bowing out of office.
Former ministers Tulsiram Silawat (BJP, Sanwer), Govind Singh Rajput (BJP, Surkhi), Kanhaiyalal Agrawal (Congress, Bamori) and Mahendra Singh Bauddh (BSP, Bhander) are among those in the fray. Mr Agrawal served in the earlier Chouhan dispensation whereas Mr Bauddh was in the Digvijaya Singh government.
Health Minister Prabhuram Choudhary (Sanchi), Public Health Engineering Minister Adal Singh Kansana (Sumaoli), Energy Minister Pradhuman Singh Tomar (Gwalior), Women and Child Development Minister Imarti Devi (Dabra), MoS for Agriculture Girraj Dandotiya (Dimani), MoS for Cooperatives OPS Bhadoria (Mehgaon) and MoS for Public Works Suresh Dhakad (Pohari) are also trying their luck. Others are Mr Mahendra Singh Sisodiya (Bamori), Mr Brajendra Singh Yadav (Mungaoli), Mr Bisahulal Singh (Anuppur), Mr Rajvardhan Singh Dattigaw (Badnawar) and Mr Hardeep Singh Dang (Suwasra).
The Congress aspirant in Bhander is the BSP’s ex-state president Phool Singh Baraiya.
The Chief Electoral Officer has urged the electorate to compulsorily exercise franchise in order to strengthen democracy.
“Awareness was raised through Systematic Voters’ Education and Electoral Participation activities,” Joint CEO Mohit Bundas was officially quoted as saying.
Voting time has been extended by an hour in view of the ‘millennium scourge’. Auxiliary polling stations have been set up to avoid overcrowding.
UNI Team-AC