Over 40 Lakh Voters Set to Partake in Voting
According to the Election Commission, there are 19.61 lakh voters in Phulpur parliamentary constituency, while there are 19.49 lakh voters in Gorakhpur.
In Gorakhpur, 970 polling centres and 2,141 polling booths will be set up, while 793 polling centres and 2,059 polling booths will be put up in Phulpur, reported PTI.
In the bypolls, as many as 4,728 VVPAT (Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail) machines will be used. According to PTI, security has been tightened and around 6,500 central armed para-military forces have been deployed, apart from Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) and homeguards to ensure no untoward incidents.
Araria Does Best at 57 Percent Voter Turnout, Gorakhpur at 47 Percent
Voter turnout In Bihar’s Araria Lok Sabha constituency was recorded to be 57 percent as the voting closed, while the two Assembly seats in Jehanabad and Bhabua saw 50.06 percent and 54.03 percent voting, according to PTI.
In the Lok Sabha seat in Uttar Pradesh’s Gorakhpur, voter turnout stood at 47 percent at the time of closing. In Phulpur, only 38 percent of the electorate came out to vote, according to PTI.
38 Percent Voting Recorded Till 5 pm in Phulpur
38 percent voter turnout was recorded in Phulpur till 5 pm. Gorakhpur saw 40 percent voter turnout till 4 pm, PTI reported.
40 Percent Voting Recorded in Gorakhpur till 4 pm
Gorakhpur Lok Sabha constituency witnessed a polling percentage of around 40 percent while Phulpur saw a turnout of 29 percent till 4 pm, Election Commission sources said.
The voting for the bye-elections to the two Lok Sabha seats began on a dull note but picked up momentum in the day amid tight security, they added.
The voting in Araria, was last reported to be at 31.25 percent, with Bhabhua and Jehanabad assembly by-polls recording 24.5 percent and 28.6 percent respectively, till noon.
FIR Against Bihar BJP Chief for Violating Model Code of Conduct
An FIR was lodged against Bihar BJP chief Nityanand Rai for violating the model code of conduct by allegedly making provocative speech during campaigning for Araria Lok Sabha bypolls, an official said to PTI.
Narpatganj Assembly constituency's nodal officer-cum- Circle Officer Nishant Kumar lodged the FIR on Saturday, 10 March.
"I have asked Narpatganj Assembly constituency's nodal officer-cum-Circle Officer to lodge an FIR against Bihar BJP Nityanand Rai chief Nityanand Rai for violating model code of conduct," Araria District Magistrate Himanshu Sharma told PTI.
While campaigning for his party's candidate at a public meeting at Narpatganj on 9 March, Rao allegedly said, if the RJD candidate wins this election, Araria will become a safe haven for ISIS.