VVPAT was used in all the three states.
Bypolls to Nandyal Assembly constituency of Andhra Pradesh and two seats in Goa witnessed a high turnout%age of over 70 while only 45% voters exercised their franchise in Delhi's lone seat of Bawana.
A turnout of about 80% was recorded in Nandyal, where the ruling TDP and the opposition YSR Congress (YSRC) are locked in a fierce battle. In Goa, Panaji constituency recorded 70% polling and Valpoi 79.80%, said Chief Electoral Officer Kunal. Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar accused the Congress of trying to sabotage polling and filed a complaint with the Election Commission. The Congress levelled counter- allegations.
The counting would be held on August 28.
For the first time, Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) was used in the by-election in Delhi, Andhra Pradesh and Goa. VVPAT is a machine which dispenses a slip with the symbol of the party for which a person has voted for. The slip drops in a box but the voter cannot take it home. The voter turnout in Delhi was much lower than the 2015 figure of 61.83%. The AAP, the BJP and the Congress are locked in a triangular contest. "The entire polling process went on peacefully and no untoward incident was reported from any part of the constituency," said Chandra Bhushan Kumar, Chief Electoral Officer, Delhi.
The polling officials said that one EVM and 17 VVPAT equipment malfunctioned during polling and were replaced without any hindrance in voting. Polling officials conjectured that multiple elections taking place in the city in quick succession could be a factor for the low turn out in Bawana bypoll. The bypoll was necessitated after the resignation of Ved Prakash as the legislator in March. Prakash had won from Bawana, a seat reserved for the SC category, in 2015 Assembly elections as an AAP candidate. Eight candidates are in the fray for the election in which the AAP, the BJP, and the Congress are locked in a keen contest. The counting of votes will take place on August 28.
The BJP has fielded Ved Prakash who had won from the constituency in 2015 elections as an AAP candidate. He resigned from Assembly membership and joined the BJP in March this year.
The AAP has fielded Ram Chandra while the Congress has put its bet on former three-time MLA from Bawana, Surendra Kumar. There are a total of 2.94 lakh voters in Bawana.
In Goa, Parrikar, who returned to the state from the Centre after the elections in February, is contesting from Panaji against Congress' Girish Chodankar and Goa Suraksha Manch's Anand Shirodkar. In Valpoi, the BJP has fielded health minister Vishwajit Rane against the Congress' Roy Naik. The Panaji bypoll was necessitated after the BJP's sitting MLA, Siddharth Kuncolienkar, vacated the seat for Parrikar, as the latter has to get elected to the Assembly within six months of becoming the chief minister.
The bypoll in Valpoi became necessary after Rane, the sitting MLA, joined the BJP after the Parrikar-led government won a crucial floor test in March. In Andhra Pradesh, heavy turnout of voters was witnessed in Nandyal rural and Gospadu mandals in the segment with women outnumbering men. In Nandyal town, about 70% polling was reported.
Barring a face-off between supporters of the TDP and the YSRC at a couple of places, the by-election passed off peacefully, a senior police official said. The by-election was held following the death of sitting MLA Bhuma Nagi Reddy in March. Reddy had won the seat in 2014 as YSR Congress candidate, but jumped over to the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) in 2016. Reddy's nephew Brahmananda Reddy is now the TDP candidate, while the YSRC fielded former minister Silpa Chandra Mohan Reddy who switched sides to the opposition party just days ahead of the bypoll. Though there are 15 candidates in the fray, the main fight is between the TDP and the YSRC
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