MP Assembly polls: Over 70 pc voter turnout recorded till 5 pm

NEW DELHI: Madhya Pradesh, where elections for its 230 assembly constituencies are currently underway, recorded a total of 71.16 per cent voter turnout till 5 pm on Friday, the Election Commission of India said.

As per the poll body, Agar Walwa saw 82 per cent of voter turnout, while Anuppur recorded 74.85 per cent.

The capital city- Bhopal, recorded 59.19 per cent of voter turnout, while Chhindwara recorded 78.85 per cent, Damoh at 73.83 per cent, Dhar at 72.35 per cent, Dindori at 78.30 per cent, Datia at 69.66 per cent, Indore at 64.95 per cent and Jhabua at 73.10 per cent.

75.54 per cent voter turnout was recorded in Khargone, 78.07 per cent in Mandsour and Neemuch recorded 81. 19 per cent till 5 pm.

Till 3 pm, the MP saw a voter turnout of 60.52 per cent.

"The percentage of voting till 3 pm in Madhya Pradesh stands at 60.52 per cent. Maximum voting has taken place in Shajapur followed by Agar-Malwa and Neemuch. Districts like Bhopal, Alirajpur, and Gwalior have recorded the lowest voting percentage so far," said Madhya Pradesh Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Anupam Rajan, giving details of the elections after 3 pm.

Voting for 230 Assembly seats in Madhya Pradesh began at 7 am on Friday.

Madhya Pradesh is proving to be a tough fight for the BJP, with the fatigue factor associated with sitting Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, who has been in power for close to two decades.

Webcasting has also been made available at about 42,000 polling stations.

Nearly 700 companies of the central forces and two lakh police personnel of the state have been deployed for security during the poll.

The election will decide the electoral fates of over 2,500 candidates.

Nearly 5.59 crore voters are eligible to exercise their franchise. It includes 2.87 crore male and 2.71 crore women voters.

There are over 5,000 booths run by women and 183 polling stations run by the disabled, officials said.

The polls, coming nearly six months ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, are crucial for both the BJP and Congress for various reasons.

The counting of votes for the five states including Rajasthan, Telangana, and Mizoram will be done on December 3.