Moderate voting in UP bypolls

Moderate turnout was recorded in bypolls in three assembly constituencies of Uttar Pradesh -- Deoband, Muzaffarnagar and Bikapur -- that were held on Saturday.

Bikapur constituency in Faizabad witnessed 42 percent polling, Muzaffarnagar 44 percent, and Deoband constituency in Saharanpur the highest of the three at 50 percent till closing time.

Polling was peaceful in all the three places.

Around 3.35 lakh voters in Muzaffarnagar were eligible to decide the fate of 18 candidates, while there were 10.24 lakh voters in Deoband who were to decide the fate of 42 candidates.

The Election Commission made tight security arrangements for the bypolls.

Three general observers, three expenditure observers and 157 micro-observers were deployed, besides 18 companies of the CRPF.

As many as 1,069 control units of electronic voting machines (EVMs) and 1,412 balloting units were used in the polls.

The bypolls were necessitated due to the death of the three sitting legislators of the ruling Samajwadi Party.