MP's Datia bypoll sees 72% turnout as Congress alleges poll irregularities
Voting for the by-election to the Datia assembly constituency in Madhya Pradesh ended peacefully on Thursday, with nearly 72 per cent polling recorded by 6
Voting for the by-election to the Datia assembly constituency in Madhya Pradesh ended peacefully on Thursday, with nearly 72 per cent polling recorded by 6 pm. Polling began at 7 am under tight security and concluded at 6 pm, with officials saying no untoward incident was reported. A total of 291 polling stations were set up for 2,20,344 registered voters. While 21 candidates are in the fray, the main contest is expected to be between the ruling BJP's Ashutosh Tiwari and the Congress's Ghanshyam Singh, with Azad Samaj Party candidate Damodar Singh Yadav also seeking to make it a triangular fight. Counting will be held on August 3. Read Full Story District Magistrate and Election Officer Swapnil Wankhade told PTI, "71.40% of people exercised their franchise. The number may increase." He said the final turnout would be announced once data from all polling stations is received.
The constituency had recorded its highest turnout of 80.20 per cent in the 2023 Assembly elections. The Congress alleged there was blatant abuse of power during voting. Sharing a video on X, the party claimed its polling agent at polling station number 51 in Ramsagar was taken away by the police without any reason so that "booth capturing could take place". The party said, "The Election Commission should immediately intervene, conduct an impartial investigation into the entire matter, and take strict action against the culprits. If only opposition agents are removed during elections, it is natural to raise serious questions about the fairness of democracy." Wankhade denied that such an incident had taken place. He said some people standing outside the polling station, including BJP and Azad Samaj Party workers, were removed. The police and administration remained on alert through the day and kept a close watch on suspicious individuals.
Police also carried out intensive checks at the borders with other districts. Congress candidate Ghanshyam Singh cast his vote at polling station 185 and told the media he was confident the Congress would win. BJP candidate Tiwari visited various polling stations to review the arrangements. He told reporters that people were actively participating in the democratic process and said he was confident that voters would choose development and good governance. BJP leader and former state Home Minister Narottam Mishra, whose supporters had staged a violent protest after the party fielded Tiwari instead of him, also cast his vote and said the BJP would win the seat. Damodar Singh Yadav told reporters that people were actively participating in this grand festival of democracy and that he was happy to see the voting was peaceful. State Congress president Jitu Patwari monitored the voting from Dinara on the Shivpuri border adjoining Datia.
The BriefWire