Lok Sabha polls: Re-polling in 4 booths in MP's Betul seat sees 73% turnout

A voter turnout of 72.97 per cent was recorded at four booths in Madhya Pradesh's Betul Lok Sabha seat where re-polling took place on Friday after EVMs used in May 7 voting were damaged in a fire, an official said. The voting started at 7 am and ended at 6 pm, said the official.

The Election Commission on Wednesday ordered re-polling at the four booths after a few electronic voting machines (EVMs) were damaged when a bus ferrying them and polling personnel post-voting caught fire on Tuesday night near Sonora Gaula village in Betul district.

Repolling was ordered in booths at Government Integrated High School, Rajapur, Government Integrated High School, Raiyat, Government Primary School Kunda, Raiyat, and Government Integrated High School, Chikhlimal.

These polling centres come under the Multai assembly segment of the Betul parliamentary seat (ST reserved). A dry day and holiday were announced in the areas covered by re-polling, the official said. An estimated 72.65 per cent polling was recorded in the Betul Lok Sabha seat on May 7, the election official said earlier.

Betul was among nine seats in Madhya Pradesh which voted in the third phase of the ongoing Lok Sabha elections. Eight candidates were in the fray, but the main fight is between sitting BJP MP Durgadas Uikey and Ramu Tekam of the Congress. The BJP has been winning the Betul seat since 1996.