LS polls: 69.33 pc voter turnout at 6pm in MP

Around 69.33 per cent voter turnout was recorded till 6 pm on Sunday in the eight Lok Sabha seats of Madhya Pradesh, an official said.

Polling was underway since 7 am in the eight seats - Dewas, Ujjain, Mandsaur, Ratlam, Dhar, Indore, Khargone and Khandwa - in the fourth and final phase of Lok Sabha elections in the state, Chief Electoral Officer V L Kantha Rao said.

The voting figures till 6 pm were: Dewas- 73.88 per cent, Ujjain 67.53 per cent, Mandsaur- 73.01 per cent, Ratlam- 69.18 per cent, Dhar- 67.18 per cent, Indore 64.10 per cent, Khargone- 70.69 per cent and Khandwa- 70.57 per cent, another poll official said.

Prominent candidates in the fray are former Union ministers Kantilal Bhuria and Arun Yadav of the Congress, who are contesting from Ratlam and Khandwa seats, respectively.

Altogether 82 candidates are contesting in the eight constituencies where there are 1.49 crore eligible voters.

Total 18,411 polling booths, including 1,157 entirely managed by women, have been set up in these seats, Rao said.

An average 69.26 per cent voter turnout was recorded in the first three phases of the Lok Sabha polls in the state, he added.

Out of the total 29 Lok Sabha seats in MP, six went to polls on April 29, seven on May 6 and eight on May 12.

The counting of votes would be held on May 23.