Bypolls live updates: SP, BJP accuse each other of disrupting the electoral process.; EVM glitches in Odisha

Polling was sluggish in Rampur Sadar with the Assembly segment, earlier held by Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan, registering around 31.22% turnout in the by-election till 5 p.m. on Monday.

Mainpuri parliamentary constituency, which fell vacant after the death of Samajwadi party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav, registered 51.89% voting. Khatauli Assembly segment in Muzaffarnagar recorded 54.50% polling.

The BJP and Samajwadi Party, the two main contenders, have accused each other of disrupting the electoral process. Delegations of both parties met Chief Electoral Officer Ajay Kumar Shukla alleging rigging.

A voter turnout of 64.86% was recorded on Monday in the bypoll to Bhanupratappur Assembly constituency in Chhattisgarh’s Kanker district, a poll official here said.

The figure is provisional as reports from some polling booths located in sensitive locations were yet to be received, he said.

Polling began at 7 a.m. amid tight security and concluded at 3 p.m. No untoward incident was reported in the constituency during the polling process which was by and large peaceful, the official said.

Seven candidates contested the bypoll in the constituency, reserved for the Scheduled Tribes, though it was largely seen as a direct contest between the ruling Congress and the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Nearly 70% voting was registered till 5.30 p.m. on December 5 in the by-election to the Sardarshahar Assembly seat in Rajasthan’s Churu district, an official said.

Voting started at 8 a.m. and was scheduled to end at 5 p.m. However, the authorities usually allow voters who reach the polling booth within the stipulated time to cast their votes.

According to the official, 69.91% polling was registered till 5.30 pm. Final figures will be issued later.

A total of 2,89,843 voters were eligible to exercise their franchise in the bypoll necessitated by the demise of Congress MLA Bhanwar Lal Sharma, who passed away on October 9 after prolonged illness.

Nearly 76% of 2.57 lakh voters on Monday exercised their franchise till 5 pm in the by-poll to Odisha’s Padampur Assembly constituency, an Election Commission official said.

The voting, which began at 7 am, continued beyond the scheduled close at 4 pm as several people were in queue in 89 of the 319 polling stations, he said.

The boundary gates of all the booths, however, were closed at 4 pm, the official said.

“There was no report of any untoward incident in the entire Padampur assembly constituency during the voting process,” Odisha’s Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) S.K. Lohani said.

A total of 53% of 3.11 lakh voters exercised their franchise till 5 p.m. in the by-election to Kurhani Assembly seat in Bihar, officials said.

Tight security arrangements are in place across all the booths, which are manned by Central paramilitary forces besides the local police, and the casting of votes will continue till 6 p.m.

“Polling has been peaceful and no untoward incident has been reported so far,” the official said.

Chhattisgarh’s Bhanupratappur: 50.83%

Bihar’s Kurhani: 37%

Odisha’s Padampur: 46.96%

Uttar Pradesh’s Khatauli: 33.20%; Rampur: 19.01%

Rajasthan’s Sardarshahar: 46.96%

The SP, through its official Twitter handle, alleged use of police force and also said officials on election duty were preventing people from casting their votes.

It also posted a video accusing the BJP agents of distributing money in Mainpuri’s Bhogaon area.

On the other hand, the BJP too alleged on Twitter that in some booths, “unscrupulous elements of the SP” were preventing people from casting their votes and sought the Election Commission’s intervention.

A party delegation also met the State Chief Electoral Officer and handed over a memorandum.

When asked about the allegation, BJP State president Bhupinder Singh Chaudhary said, “The SP is making baseless allegations as it is going to taste defeat in all the three seats.” Meanwhile, the EC said in a statement, “Till 1 p.m., Mainpuri witnessed 31.61% while Rampur and Khatauli had 19.01 and 33.2% polling.”

The bypolls are witnessing a direct contest between the ruling BJP and the Opposition Samajwadi Party-Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) alliance. The BSP and the Congress are not contesting the seats.

Nearly 47% polling was recorded in the first six hours of voting in Odisha’s Padampur Assembly constituency, where a bye-election is underway, an EC official said.

“Tight security arrangements have been made in all 319 polling stations. Voter turnout was 46.96% till 1 p.m. and no violence was reported so far,” the EC official said.

Odisha’s Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) S.K. Lohani said, “The by-election to Padampur assembly seat is proceeding smoothly and we have not received any complaint regarding law and order issue. We had received complaints of mechanical faults in EVMs in 11 booths and all these voting machines have been replaced…Those who remain on booth premises at 4 pm will be given slips and all will be allowed to cast their votes.” He appealed to people to cast their votes without any fear.

At least 1,400 police personnel and nine companies of central paramilitary forces have been deployed for the by-election, the official said.

All the entry and exit points of the constituency were sealed as the Assembly segment was earlier considered as a Maoist-infested area, he said.

Seventy-nine polling booths are identified as ‘critical’, Mr. Lohani said.

Pick-up and drop arrangements have been made for voters with physical disabilities, the EC official said.

“Ninety-one micro observers have been engaged along with CAPF deployment in appropriate locations,” the CEO said.

37% turnout was recorded in the first six hours of polling in Kurhani assembly seat in Bihar, an EC official said.

“Polling has been peaceful and no untoward incident has been reported so far,” the official said.

The Mainpuri parliamentary constituency, which has been the Samajwadi Party’s stronghold for over two-and-half decades, interestingly also bears testimony to a candidate securing zero votes.

In other words, the candidate -- Shanker Lal, who contested an independent candidate in the 1957 general elections -- did not even get his own vote as it was deemed invalid.

According to the Election Commission of India records, six candidates were in the fray, the other being Bansi Das Dhangar of the Praja Socialist Party, Badshah (Congress), Jagdish Singh (All India Bhartiya Jan Sangh) and independent candidates Mani Ram and Puttoo Singh.

Bansi Das Dhangar of the PSP emerged winner, bagging 59,902 votes (30.45 per cent) out of the 1,96,750 votes polled, while Badshah of the Congress was the runner-up with 56,072 votes (28.50 per cent).

Jagdish Singh of the All India Bhartiya Jan Sangh polled 46,627 votes (23.70 per cent).

Independent candidates Mani Ram and Puttoo Singh got 17,972 (9.13 per cent) and 16,177 (8.22 per cent) votes, respectively.

Shanker Lal who finished at the last spot, got zero votes.

Determined to exercise his franchise, 105-year-old Deepa Manjhi reached his designated polling booth in Bihar’s Kurhani assembly segment, where voting is underway for a by-election on Monday.

“I have grown very old. It may well be the last opportunity for me to cast my vote,” said Manjhi, whose rheumy eyes, shuffling steps and torso bent at a right angle, balanced against a thick bamboo pole he held in his right hand, gave little clue of his determination.

The centenarian had reached the polling booth without carrying a valid ID proof and when he went home to fetch one, few hoped that he will be back again.

But in about half an hour, he was sighted again, this time carrying his Aadhaar card.

Moderate polling was recorded till noon in the bypoll to six assembly constituencies in five states and the Mainpuri parliamentary seat in Uttar Pradesh on Monday amid complaints of glitches in EVMs and allegations by the Samajwadi Party that the police and administration were preventing people from casting vote.

Former chief minister of Uttar Pradesh and National President of Samajwadi Party, Akhilesh Yadav has said that his party would win Mainpuri by-elections.

Speaking to ANI, on the day of polling in Mainpuri on Monday, Akhilesh Yadav said, “I hope BJP will have a massive defeat in Gujarat... I believe SP will get a good number of votes in Mainpuri byelections, people will vote for us... BJP must allow the central agencies (Election Commission) to operate freely, BJP is misusing them.”

Chhattisgarh’s Bhanupratappur: 31.27%

Bihar’s Kurhani: 24%

Odisha’s Padampur: 29.73%

Uttar Pradesh’s Khatauli: 20.70%, Rampur: 11.30%

Rajasthan’s Sardarshahar: 19.87%

The Election Commission on Monday recorded the highest voter turnout in Chhattisgarh’s Bhanupratappur Assembly seat. Voter turnout in Rampur was still recorded as the lowest at 11 am.

Voting is underway on Monday for bypoll to Kurhani Assembly seat in Bihar where 24% of 3.11 lakh voters have exercised their franchise in the first four hours, an Election Commission official said.

Samajwadi Party Chief Akhilesh Yadav on Monday alleged that police is trying to prevent voters from casting votes in the by-polls and even resorting to lathi charge in Rampur.“I don’t know on whose orders the administration is working during elections. What briefing has been given? Complaints are coming continuously since morning. Police is not allowing people to cast votes,” Akhilesh Yadav told reporters.

Voting in the assembly by-election at Sardarshahar in Rajasthan’s Churu district is underway. The voting began at 8 a.m. on Monday.A total of 2,89,843 voters are eligible to exercise their franchise in the bypoll in the Assembly constituency. The voting will conclude at 5 pm.

Polling gained momentum after starting on a dull note in the bypolls to three seats in Uttar Pradesh with about 19% of the voters exercising their franchise till 11 a.m. in Mainpuri Lok Sabha seat, while Rampur Sadar and Khatauli assembly seats saw 11.3% and 20.7% polling on Monday, EC officials said.

Samajwadi Party President Akhilesh Yadav on Monday alleged that the police and administration are preventing people from casting votes in Mainpuri parliamentary and Rampur Assembly constituency in the bypolls in Uttar Pradesh.

Over 29% polling was recorded in the first four hours of voting in Odisha’s Padampur Assembly constituency, where by-election is underway on Monday, an Election Commission official said.

“Tight security arrangements have been made in all 319 polling stations. Voter turnout was 29.73 per cent till 11 am and no violence was reported so far,” the EC official said.

Polling started on a dull note in the bypolls to three seats in Uttar Pradesh with only 7% of the voters exercising their franchise in the first two hours of voting in Mainpuri Lok Sabha seat, while Rampur Sadar and Khatauli Assembly seats witnessed 3.97% and 6.9% polling on Monday, Election Commission officials said.

The voter turnout in Uttar Pradesh’s Mainpuri Lok Sabha Assembly Seat was recorded at 7.08% till 9 a.m. on Monday, the Election Commission of India said.

The party has fielded his daughter-in-law and wife of Akhilesh Yadav, Dimple Yadav. She is pitted against BJP’s former MP Raghuraj Singh Shakya.

The voters queued up as soon as the polling began to cast their vote. As per the notification from the State Election Commission, the voter turnout till 9 a.m. was reported as 11% for the Kurhani seat.

Voting is underway on Monday for by-poll to Kurhani Assembly seat in Bihar’s Muzaffarpur district where 3.11 lakh voters will decide the fate of 13 candidates, the Election Department said.

Polling began, amid tight security, at 7 am across 320 booths in the constituency, all manned by central paramilitary forces besides local police, and will continue till 6 p.m.

The Assembly segment has been divided into 39 sectors.

The Sector Magistrates will discharge their duties under the supervision of nine zonal magistrates and one “super zonal magistrate”.

The bypoll has been necessitated by the disqualification of RJD MLA Anil Kumar Sahani from the Assembly.

Voting began Monday morning for the by-election to the Mainpuri parliamentary and Rampur Sadar and Khatauli assembly constituencies in Uttar Pradesh, where the Samajwadi Party (SP) is locked in a high-voltage contest with the BJP.

Elaborate security arrangements have been made to ensure a free and fair polling, police said.

“Polling has started at 7 am and will continue till 6 pm,” according to an official at the office of the Uttar Pradesh Chief Electoral Officer.