Tharali registers over 53 pc polling

Over 53 per cent polling was recorded in the bypolls to the Tharali Assembly seat in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district.

By the end of the day, 53.43 per cent voters had cast their votes, District Information Officer incharge of the election control room G S Bisht said.

Though largely peaceful, the bypoll was boycotted at Devsari village in the Dewal area by voters to protest against their demand for a road not being fulfilled, he said.

Polling for the reserved (SC) seat went at a slow pace initially. Only 26 per cent voters had cast their votes by 1 PM. However, it picked up a little late in the afternoon with 40.5 poll percentage recorded by 3 PM, Bisht said.

There are 1,02,569 voters in the constituency, including 50,991 men, 48,301 women and 3,277 service voters, he said.

The contest is straight on the seat between traditional rivals the BJP and the Congress with the former looking to retain it and the latter trying to stage a comeback.

Maganlal Shah of the BJP, whose death earlier this year necessitated the bypolls, had won in 2017 defeating his nearest rival Jeetram.

Others in the fray are Kunwar Ram CPI(M), Kasbilal Shah (UKD) and Beeri Ram (Independent).