Voting underway for bypoll in MP’s Chitrakoot assembly

The by-election was necessitated following the death of Congress MLA Prem Singh in May this year.

The polling for the by-election to Madhya Pradesh’s Chitrakoot Assembly seat was underway since Thursday morning with about 27% voters exercising their franchise in the first three hours, an official said.

As many as 257 polling booths with VVPAT machines were set up for the bypoll. (AP/Representative image)

The voting started across the constituency at 8 am and around 27% polling was recorded till 11 am, an official of the Election Commission (EC) said.

Congress candidate Nilanshu Chaturvedi, BJP’s nominee Shankar Dayal Tripathi and 10 others are in fray for the by-election in the Assembly segment, which lies bordering Uttar Pradesh. The BSP has not fielded its candidate in the bypoll.

The by-election was necessitated following the death of Congress MLA Prem Singh (65) after a prolonged illness in May this year. He had won the Chitrakoot seat thrice -- in 1998, 2003 and 2013.

There are 1.98 lakh voters in the Chitrakoot Assembly constituency, an EC official earlier said.

As many as 257 polling booths with VVPAT (Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail) machines were set up for the bypoll, he said.

Besides, Congress chief whip in Lok Sabha Jyotiraditya Scindia, former Union Minister Kamal Nath, Leader of Opposition in MP Assembly Ajay Singh tried to drum up support for their party’s nominee.