This Article is From Feb 24, 2018

Over 70% Voter Turnout Recorded In 2 Madhya Pradesh Seats: 10 Points

Congress leader Jyotiraditya Scindia's has pitched the Madhya Pradesh by-elections as a personal contest between him and Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan.

Madhya Pradesh bypolls: Jyotiraditya Scindia, Shivraj Singh Chouhan led campaigns in Mungaoli and Kolaras

Highlights

  • By-elections to Mungaoli and Kolaras constituencies in Madhya Pradesh
  • Chief Minister Chouhan, Congress' Jyotiraditya Scindia led campaigns
  • BJP has been in power for 15 years, Congress hopes to make gains
Bhopal: An estimated 70-77 per cent polling was today recorded in bypolls to two assembly constituencies in Madhya Pradesh. The bypolls were largely peaceful but some incidents were reported in some booths between the Congress and BJP workers.Mungaoli and Kolaras have seen high-voltage campaigns from the ruling BJP and the Congress that's keen on retaining the two seats. While Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has led the BJP campaign along with a host of his ministers, leading the opposition attack is Congress lawmaker Jyotiraditya Scindia.

Here are the 10 top developments of the story:

  1. Mungaoli and Kolaras Assembly constituencies recorded 77.05 per cent and 70.40 per cent voter turnout respectively. An Election Commission official said minor clashes between political workers were reported from some areas. 

  2. Chief Electoral Officer confirmed that incidents of EVM malfunctioning were reported in both constituencies. "We did have to change about 18 EVMs in Kolaras and 17 in Mungaoli, there was a delay of 20-30 min in 3 polling station but no hungama as engineers were there," Saleena Singh said. 

  3. The Congress has fielded Mahendra Singh Yadav from Kolaras and Brijendra Singh Yadav from Mungaoli, while the BJP has fielded Baisahab Yadav from Mungaoli and Devendra Jain from Kolaras. Overall, 13 candidates are in the fray in Mungaoli and 22 in Kolaras.

  4. The bypolls were necessitated due to the death of Congress's Mungaoli MLA Mahendra Singh Kalukheda and its Kolaras MLA Ram Singh Yadav.

  5. Both the seats fall under Jyotiraditya Scindia's parliamentary constituency Guna, and were earlier held by the Congress. In an area once ruled by his ancestors, the former royal has claimed in rally after rally that the contest was not between two parties but "between Shivraj Singh Chouhan and me".

  6. An estimated 72 per cent voters exercised their franchise in Bijepur Assembly seat bypoll in Odisha that passed off peacefully amid tight security, according to state Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Surendra Kumar. No untoward incident was reported in the five Naxal-affected polling stations in the Assembly segment, located in Bargarh district, news agency Press Trust of India reported.

  7. Counting of votes for all the three seats would be undertaken on February 28. It appeared to be a triangular contest among nominees of the ruling BJD, the Congress and the BJP in Odisha

  8. The by-poll was necessitated due to the death of Congress MLA Subal Sahu in August last year. Subal Sabu's wife Rita Sahu has been fielded this time by the BJD, while Ashok Panigrahi is nominated by the BJP, and Pranay Sahu by the Congress.

  9. Mr Scindia, who has addressed over 75 rallies and 15 road shows, says he is confident of a Congress victory in the bypolls and the assembly elections ahead. "Why wait for six months? I am saying let's have the assembly polls now."

  10. The BJP that has been in power for 15 years in the state has pitched for development in the Congress bastion. "Give us five months, the government will deliver five years of work," said Mr Chouhan. Mr Scindia retorted by asking "where were you for five years?"

(with inputs from PTI)


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