E-Paper
Chhattisgarh: Marwahi assembly bypoll records voter turnout of 77% amid security, Covid-related restrictions
Marwahi which is reserved for Scheduled Castes (SCs) has an electorate strength of 1,91,004 comprising 93,725 men, 97,265 women and four belonging to the third gender.
The Marwahi assembly bypoll recorded a high voter turnout of 77% on Wednesday amid tight security arrangements and other protocols related to the coronavirus (Covid-19) outbreak across India. Voters exercised their franchise from 7am to 6pm. Results for the Marwahi assembly bypoll would be declared on November 10.
A poll official situated in Raipur said, “Polling in Marwahi started at 7 am and went smoothly till the deadline at 6 pm. Total around 77%polling has been registered till 6 pm and still polling is going on at some booths.” The final turnout was expected rise late in the evening, the official added
Marwahi which is reserved for Scheduled Castes (SCs) has an electorate strength of 1,91,004 comprising 93,725 men, 97,265 women and four belonging to the third gender.
A total of 286 polling stations were set up in the constituency out of which 126 were categorised as sensitive.
As many as 1,400 security personnel were deployed for election duty across all stations.
Top contenders from Marwahi in 2020 were K K Dhruw from the Congress and Gambheer Singh from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The by-poll was necessitated after Janata Congress Chhattisgarh (JCC) MLA and former Chhattisgarh chief minister Ajit Jogi passed away in May this year.
Chief minister Bhupesh Baghel led the campaign for Congress and visited the constituency four times last month. The party highlighted several pro-farmer and pro-tribal initiatives of the state government including the Rajiv Gandhi Kisan Nyay Yojna, cow dung procurement scheme, distribution of forest rights certificates, and relief measures to combat Covid-19.
Raman Singh- national vice president of BJP and also former chief minister of Chhattisgarh was in charge of the party’s outreach in the state. BJP targeted the ruling Congress government alleging it failed on all fronts and the law and order situation had deteriorated.
Marwahi, once a stronghold of the Jogis, did not see any participation from the family in the 2020 bypoll after Ajit Jogi’s son Amit’s nomination from the JCC was rejected due to a case of a fake caste certificate. Nomination papers of Amit’s wife Richa were also cancelled by the district collector on the same ground.
In the 2018 assembly polls, Ajit won the constituency by a thumping majority of 74,041 votes. The second spot was bagged by Archana Porte of the BJP and she secured 27,579 votes. The difference between the winner and runner-up was 46,462 votes. Congress came third in 2018.