Arunachal, West Bengal and UP Bypolls Were Fairly Peaceful: EC
The results will be announced on 24 December.
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UP's Sikandara Recorded Around 53 Percent Voter Turnout
Nearly 53 percent of the total 3.21 lakh electorate cast their votes in the Assembly by-election in Sikandara.
"There was average 53 percent polling till 5 pm. There was no incident related to booth capturing, interruption or obstruction during polls," Joint Chief Electoral Officer Ramesh Chandra Rai said.
Voting was initially slow in the morning because of cold conditions, but picked up gradually.
Arunachal's Pakke-Kessang and Likabali Record an Estimated Voter Turnout of 68.5 Percent
An estimated 68.5 percent votes were cast in bypoll for Pakke-Kessang and Likabali constituencies in Arunachal Pradesh.
Pakke-Kessang recorded 86 percent polling, while Likabali constituency recorded 51 percent, Joint Chief Electoral officer D J Bhattacharjee informed.
The polling was largely peaceful except for an incident of damage to EVM by miscreants at Siberity, a booth in Likabali constituency where polling was suspended, Bhatacharjee informed.
- Voting begins for bypolls in West Bengal’s Sabang, Arunachal Pradesh’s Pakke-Kessang and Likabali, and Uttar Pradesh’s Sikandara
- Bypoll in West Bengal’s Sabang to be a litmus test for both the ruling TMC and the BJP
- 12 candidates in the fray for UP’s Sikandara, which fell vacant after the death of BJP MLA Mathura Prasad Pal
Sabang Recorded 84.5 Percent Voter Turnout till 3 Pm; EC Says Election Was Fairly Peaceful
According to the Election Commission sources about 84.5 per cent votes were recorded at the end of polls.
The EC said the election was by and large peaceful, and it is looking into complaints by the opposition parties.
Sabang: 5 Percent Voting in First Two Hours
Voting for the Sabang Assembly began on a dull note today with just 15 percent electorates exercising their franchise in the first two hours, an Election Commission official said.
The opposition CPI(M) and the BJP accused the ruling TMC of driving away their election agents from the polling booths, an allegation which was denied by TMC leader and Rajya Sabha MP Manas Bhunia.
“The allegation made by the opposition parties is completely baseless. Voting is going on peacefully in the constituency,” Bhunia said.
Polling Begins
Voting begins for bypolls in West Bengal’s Sabang, Arunachal Pradesh’s Pakke-Kessang and Likabali, and Uttar Pradesh’s Sikandara.
Joint By-Election for Two Arunachal Pradesh Constituencies
The stage is set for today’s bypoll for two Arunachal Pradesh Assembly seats – Pakke-Kessang constituency in East Kameng district and Likabali seat in Lower Siang.
Voter-Verified Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) system will be used for the first time in the state.
Elaborate security arrangements have been made and state police, ITBP and four companies of central paramilitary forces have been deployed. The critical polling booths would be covered by CRPF and IRB personnel.
A total 7,455 voters can exercise their franchise in 29 polling stations in Pakke-Kessang, while 10,608 people can cast their votes in 39 polling stations in Likabali constituency.
The Pakke-Kessang seat is all set for a straight contest between former Deputy Chief Minister Kameng Dolo, who is contesting on a Congress ticket, and BJP nominee BR Waghe, while the Likabali constituency would see a multi-cornered contest with four candidates in the fray. They are Kardo Nyigyor (BJP), Modam Dini (Congress), Gumke Riba (People’s Party of Arunachal) and Independent candidate Sengo Taipodia.
Sabang Bypoll a Litmus Test for Mukul Roy
The by-election in West Bengal’s Sabang will be a litmus test for both the ruling Trinamool Congress as well as the BJP, which has been trying to emerge as the principal opposition party in the state.
TMC has fielded Gita Rani Bhunia as its candidate for the Sabang Assembly seat, which fell vacant after her husband and former Congress MLA Manas Ranjan Bhunia was elected to Rajya Sabha on a TMC ticket, necessitating the bypoll.
The BJP has nominated Antara Bhattacharya, while the Congress has fielded Chiranjib Bhowmick, a local leader. The CPI(M)candidate Rita Mandal will contest the seat as a Left Front candidate.
Mukul Roy, the former national general secretary of Trinamool Congress who joined the BJP recently, said that he “doesn't have a magic wand” and it would be wrong to say that the bypoll would be a test for his abilities, but he is certain that the BJP will do well.
12 Candidates in the Fray for Sikandara Bypoll in UP
The Sikandara Assembly seat in Kanpur Dehat district, Uttar Pradesh, fell vacant after sitting BJP MLA Mathura Prasad Pal died on 22 July 2017 after a prolonged illness.
In the 2017 Assembly elections, Mathura Prasad Pal had bagged 87,879 votes, and defeated the Bahujan Samaj Party candidate Mahendra Katiyar (Bablu), who was able to secure 49,776 votes.
The BJP has fielded Ajit Pal Singh from the constituency, while the Samajwadi Party has given ticket to Seema Sachan. The Congress has fielded Prabhakar from the constituency.
In all, there are 12 candidates in the fray. Out of this, there are five independent candidates.
(With inputs from PTI and IANS.)
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Published: 19 Dec 2017,08:34 PM IST