New Delhi: Over 60 per cent of voters turned
out on Saturday in the by-elections to one Lok Sabha and 31 Assembly
seats spread over seven states which were by and large
peaceful.
The polls were held under the watchful eyes of security
forces and paramilitary personnel who kept a strict vigil in
all the constituencies.
In Firozabad Lok Sabha seat, where Congress candidate Raj
Babbar is pitted against Mulayam Singh Yadav's daughter-in-
law Dimple, 53 per cent polling was registered, whereas in 11
Assembly seats in the state, the turnout was 41.67 per cent.
The Lok Sabha by-election was necessitated after Akhilesh
Yadav, son of the SP chief, vacated the seat and retained
Kannauj.
Two minor incidents of violence were reported from Uttar
Pradesh where two persons, including a woman, were injured in
a clash during polling at a booth in Jasrana area of Firozabad
parliamentary constituency, official sources said in Lucknow.
In Jaunpur, the cavalcade of BSP's Rari assembly seat
candidate Rajdev Singh, father of BSP MP Dhananjay Singh, was
allegedly attacked by unidentified persons during polling
hours at Tikrara police station area, police said.
In West Bengal, a turnout of 65 per cent was recorded in
the by-elections to 10 assembly seats, state chief election
officer Debasish Sen said in Kolkata.
The by-elections in the state are being viewed as a dress
rehersal for the 2010 Assembly polls.
Today's by-polls are considered politically crucial as the
outcome will reflect whether the ruling Left Front, that
suffered a series of setbacks in some recent polls, is able to
reverse the trend.
It will also show whether the Left parties have been able
to put a check on the string of successes achieved by the
Trinamool Congress-Congress electoral alliance.
Byelections to nine seats in West Bengal are being held as
MLAs from these seats have been elected as MPs, while in one
seat, it is due to the death of state's former transport
minister Subhas Chakraborty.
Tight security arrangements were made for the bypolls
with 400 personnel of central forces deployed to ensure
peaceful elections in the state, which has been witnessing
frequent political clashes.
Over 75 per cent voters turned up in the bypolls in
Kannur, Ernakulam and Alappuzha Assembly constituencies in
Kerala, another Left-ruled state.
The bypolls, necessitated following resignation of
Congress MLAs on their getting elected to Lok Sabha, have
gained importance as the CPI(M)-led ruling LDF sees it as an
opportunity to boost its sagging morale after the Left Front's
dismal show in the May Lok Sabha polls.
The main contest in all the three seats is between the
ruling LDF and Congress-led UDF, which is leaving no stone
unturned to ensure victory in these seats.
In Rohroo and Jawali assembly seats of Himachal Pradesh,
about 68 per cent polling was recorded
Bypoll in the two assembly seats is taking place due to
resignation of Union Steel minister Virbhadra Singh and BJP
MP from Kangra Rajan Sushant respectively.
Singh had represented the seat, which is part of his
Bushare royalty, for past 19 years before moving to Delhi.
In Rohroo, a polling party travelled at least 14 km
from the nearest motorable road to reach the booth at Pandar
in the interiors of Dodra Kawar.
Voting in bypoll to Vaishali Nagar Assembly seat in
Durg district of Chhattisgarh was held under tight security
and a voter turnout of 58 per cent was recorded.
Despite the presence of over a dozen candidates, the main
fight is between ruling BJP's Jageshwar Sahu and Bhajan Singh
Nirankari of the Congress.
The bypoll was necessitated after BJP legislator Saroj
Pandey was elected to the Lok Sabha from Durg in May.
In Rajasthan, over 50 per cent voters cast their ballots
for Salumber and Todabheem assembly seats which fell vacant
when the sitting MLAs were elected to the Lok Sabha.
The outcome of the polls is being considered crucial for
measuring the popularity of the Ashok Gehlot government and
determining the stance of Gujjars after the Rajasthan High
Court's recent stay on reservation granted to them.
Voting was also held for two seats in Assam -- Salmara
South and Dhekiajuli. The average turnout was 71 per cent.
Counting of votes will be taken up on November 10.
Bureau Report