Despite poll boycott at few seats in Madhya Pradesh, 11.46% voting in initial hours

A total 11.46% voters exercised their right to franchise till 10.30 AM today in Madhya Pradesh, where polling is on for 10 Lok Sabha seats in the second phase, amid reports of poll boycott in a few seats.

Poll boycott was going on in Bhuri Shahpur village under Damoh constituency on the issue of development works not being started, and at Pathara village in Tikmagarh seat for no survey of hail affected crops.

However, polling started in other Lok Sabha seats after initial call of boycott, Madhya Pradesh Chief Electoral Officer Jaideep Govind told reporters.

The LS seats where polling started after initial boycott are - Morena's Bastpur village (protest for not getting basic facilities), Sagar's Bagoda village (for a road not being constructed), Rajgarh's Kasor village for a bridge not being built), Guna's Mungavali's booth no. 156 (protest against not getting water) and Chachoda/Naseerabad's booth no.
226 (for not getting compensation), Govind said.

The polling percentage till 10.30 AM in ten constituencies is - Morena 6.25, Bhind 2.33, Gwalior 8.3, Guna 12.48, Sagar 19.9, Tikamgarh 11.2, Damoh (no information), Khajuraho 11.35, Bhopal 20.72 and Rajgarh 10.57, poll officials said.

Before the start of polling, a mock poll was conducted during which 42 faulty EVMs were replaced, they added.

The fate of number of prominent candidates including Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia (from Guna), state BJP unit president Narendra Singh Tomar from Gwalior, former minister and ex-Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's nephew Anoop Mishra (Morena) and former IAS officer Dr Bhagirath Prasad, who joined BJP a day after getting Congress ticket from Bhind, will be sealed in the EVMs during the day-long polling.

Total 142 candidates, including 11 women, are in fray in the second phase of election in the state.