Madhya Pradesh Sets Record with 76.22% Voter Turnout
Madhya Pradesh made history with a voter turnout of 76.22 per cent in the single phase polls to 230 assembly seats, the highest in the last 66 years. Seoni recorded an outstanding 85.68 per cent voter turnout, followed Balaghat with 85.23 per cent, Agar at a record 85.03 per cent, and Shajapur and Rajgarh at 84.99 per cent and 84.29 per cent respectively.
According to the Election Commission’s data, 18 districts recorded more than 80 per cent voter turnout, while the voting percentage in 19 districts was above 75 per cent. The lowest voter turnout was recorded in Alirajpur district at 60.10 per cent.
The biggest city of the state, Indore, recorded 70.54 per cent voter turnout, with Bhopal at 66 per cent, Jabalpur at 74.30 per cent, Gwalior at 67.1 per cent, and Rewa at 66.85 per cent.
A polling station in the Naxal-hit Balaghat district, which was categorized as Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs), recorded 100 per cent voting. This was achieved with a concerted effort to facilitate voting among tribal communities, resulting in 100 per cent enrollment among the PVTGs residing in Madhya Pradesh, according to the election officer.
Out of the total 2,533 candidates in the fray, a single third-gender person from Malhara in Chhatarpur district is also contesting. Of the total 230 seats, 148 are in the General category, while 35 seats are reserved for SC and 47 for the ST category.
However, the state also witnessed some serious incidents of violence during the assembly polls. In the most serious of the cases, BJP candidate Arvind Pateriya was booked for murder along with 19 of his associates on the charges of crushing Congress councillor Salman Khan to death. Pateriya released a video accusing the MLA of spreading lies and indulging in dirty politics, calling for a judicial probe into the incident and punishment for those guilty.
Meanwhile, violence was also reported from Morena, Bhind, Jabalpur, Indore, and Bhopal districts. BJP candidate Rakesh Shukla suffered minor injuries following stone pelting.
The state expects to determine the results of the polls soon. Stay tuned for further updates.
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