55.50 per cent turnout recorded in Harlakhi by-poll

The by-poll for the lone Harlakhi assembly constituency in Bihar's Madhubani district passed off peacefully today with a total voters' turnout of 55.50 per cent.
"Harlakhi assembly constituency recorded a total of 55.50 per cent of turnout at the end of polling today...The by poll passed off peacefully," the Chief Electoral Officer's office said in a release.
The constituency has witnessed 56.32 per cent voting in 2015 Assembly election.
The by-poll was necessitated after the seat fell vacant in the wake of death of BJP's ally Rashtriya Lok Samta Party (RLSP) candidate Basant Kushwaha. Kushwaha had won the 2015 assembly constituency defeating Congress candidate Mohammad Shabbir.

Basant had died due to heart attack a day before taking oath as member of the Bihar assembly.
Basant's son Sudhanshu Kumar was locked in a direct contest with Congress candidate Mohammad Shabbir in this by-election.

RJD chief Lalu Prasad and a host of Congress leaders had canvassed for the alliance nominee.
From NDA camp, besides senior leaders of BJP in the state, ally leaders Jitan Ram Manjhi and Upendra Kushwaha sought vote for their nominee.
A little more than 55 per cent of 2.58 lakh voters exercised their franchise to elect their representative out of nine candidates who are trying their luck in Harlakhi by-election.

A total of 1434 police personnel and 1474 polling persons were deployed at 242 polling stations of the assembly constituency where one each general and expenditure observers along with 21 micro observers kept a strict vigil for peaceful polling.
The by-poll would test the popularity of JDU-RJD-Congress alliance headed by Nitish Kumar who is under fire from the opposition for his government's failure to check alleged spurt in crime incidents in the state in recent months.