LS polls: 71.15 pc turnout till end of voting in MP

Around 71.15 per cent voter turnout was recorded till the end of voting for the eight Lok Sabha seats in Madhya Pradesh on Sunday, a poll official said.

The final figures would be provided later, he said.

Dewas, Ujjain, Mandsaur, Ratlam, Dhar, Indore, Khargone and Khandwa were the eight Lok Sabha seats that went to polls in the fourth and final phase of the general election in the state.

As per information issued at 8 pm by the state electoral office, voting figures were: Dewas 78.04 per cent, Ujjain 70.89 per cent, Mandsaur 73.01 per cent, Ratlam 70.49 per cent, Dhar 67.18 per cent, Indore 65.18 per cent, Khargone 72.77 per cent and Khandwa 73.51 per cent.

Polling began at 7 am and those in queue at 6 pm, when voting officially ends, were allowed to exercise their franchise, MP Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) V L Kantha 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, Rao said.

He said during the mock poll, either the EVM ballot unit or the control unit or the VVPAT printer was replaced in 344 booths, and the same had to be done in 70 booths during actual voting.

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, including Bhuria and Yadav, are contesting in the eight constituencies where there are 1.49 crore eligible voters.

Of these total nominees, 20 are contesting in Indore, 13 in Mandsaur, 11 in Khandwa, nine each in Ujjain and Ratlam, seven each in Dhar and Khargone, and six in Dewas, Rao said.

Over 56,000 security personnel, including 83 companies of the central forces and 49 of the state forces, have been deployed to ensure smooth conduct of the polls, he said.

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

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.

In Indore, a newly-wed couple, Gaurav Yadav and his wife Sonal, decked up in finery, exercised their franchise at a polling booth in Nayapura area even as the 'baraat' (marriage party) waited outside.

At least two men aged above 100 -- Madhukar Veerkar (101) and Sunderlal Mahajan --cast their votes along with their family members.

In Muslim dominated Khajrana area in Indore, a large number of local residents queued up outside polling booths in scorching heat.

A Muslim voter said the ongoing Ramzan fast had no impact on the voting turnout as far as the community is concerned.