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Assembly bypoll updates: Voting underway in four states, 43.36% voter turnout till 3 PM in Naxal-hit Dantewada

The bypoll in Dantewada is looking to be a contest fraught by emotions since both the candidates this time are women widowed in Naxal assaults.

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The villagers are displaying determined enthusiasm for voting, marked by a long queue at the polling booth in Faraspal. (Photo: @airnewsalerts on Twitter)
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Voting began on Monday for the bypoll in the Naxal-hit Dantewada assembly seat of Chhattisgarh. Elections in the ST constituency, part of the Bastar region, are being held nearly five months after Naxals blew up a vehicle, killing local BJP legislator Bhima Mandavi. The party has fielded Mandavi's widow Ojashvi this time.

A 43.36% voter turnout has been recorded in the Chhattisgarh bypoll till 3 PM, a significant update from the 12.7% turnout till 9 AM in the constituency, where villagers are set on overcoming the Maoist scare.

The voting for three other constituencies - Pala (Kerala), Hamirpur (Uttar Pradesh) and Badharghat (SC) (Tripura) - also started on Monday morning.

 

Till 3 PM, the voter turnout recorded are as follows:

Kerala - 57.23%

Tripura - 66.42%

Uttar Pradesh - 32.95%

Chhattisgarh - 43.36%

 

The counting of the votes will take place on September 27. The Model code of conduct is already in effect and is applicable to all candidates, political parties, the state government concerned and the Centre.

In Dantewada, Congress candidate Devti Karma voted in her village Faraspal while BJP candidate Ojashvi Mandavi will vote in her village Gadapal. According to updates, the villagers are displaying determined enthusiasm for voting, marked by a long queue at the polling booth in Faraspal. However, the nails of voters who reside in the hill-side near the village are not being marked by electoral ink due to security reasons.

Adequate numbers of EVMs and VVPATs have been made available and all steps have been taken to ensure that the polls are conducted smoothly. While nearly 18,000 paramilitary personnel have been deployed in Dantewada, the administration has shifted voters of 28 villages to areas under better surveillance. However, those voters have to cover anything between 5 km and 30 km that includes unpaved, bumpy roads and crossing the swollen Indravati river.

 

 

Earlier, it was reported that the Presiding Officer of Chikpal polling booth in the district had passed away due to a sudden cardiac arrest early in the morning. According to reports, the officer's condition had worsened while he was overseeing pre-poll work at the booth. On being brought to The condition was brought to the Katekalyan hospital, he was declared dead.

The bypoll is looking to be a contest fraught by emotions since both the candidates this time are women widowed in Naxal assaults.

 

(All figures provided by the Election Commission of India)

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