66.29 per cent polling in Lohardaga Assembly bypoll

Bypoll to Lohardaga Assembly constituency today was peaceful and recorded a turnout of 66.29 per cent, official sources said.
"Altogether, 66.29 per cent polling has been registered in the bypoll held today for the Lohardaga Assembly constituency," Deputy Commissioner-cum-Returning Officer Manjunath Bhajanti said.
The Lohardaga Assembly seat fell vacant after its sitting AJSU Party's MLA Kamal Kishore Bhagat was sentenced jail term by a court in connection with an attack on a doctor in Ranchi in 1993, following which he was disqualified from the state assembly.
Bhagat's wife Neeru Shanti Bhagat is the Ajsu Party's candidate in the by-poll and pitted against Jharkhand Pradesh Congress Committee President-cum-party candidate Sukhdeo Bhagat, ex-MLA and former Jharkhand Minister Bandhu Tirkey, who is contesting the poll on Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (Prajatantrik) ticket.

The constituency has altogether 2,19,595 voters and 272 polling booths were set up for the by-poll, he said.