Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Madhya Pradesh recorded highest ever polling percentage of 76.22% on Friday amid few incidents of violence, including death of a councillor in Raj Nagar area of Chhattarpur. The voting began on a dull note but picked up pace in afternoon.
The voters began to turn up at polling booths in large numbers and polling percentage stood at 76.22%. In 2018 assembly election, the polling percentage was recorded at 75%. The polling began at 7am when only a few voters cast their votes at different polling stations across the state.
Just as the morning slipped into afternoon, polling picked up pace though it still remained low in many districts. At 3 pm, in Bhopal, the voting percentage stood at 45.34%.
At the same time, voting percentage in Indore district was 54.89%. It was during the evening hours that voters particularly women flooded the polling stations to cast votes.
By seeing the long queues at many polling stations, the EC decided to allow the people to vote past 6 pm. In box Violence claims life of corporator in Rajnagar, BJP candidate booked A councilor accompanying Congress candidate from Rajnagar, Kunwar Vikram Singh Natiraja, died in early morning hours of Friday.
Natiraja alleged that it men of BJP candidate Arvind Pateria ran over the vehicle on Salman and one another. On his complaint, police booked Pateria and others under IPC sections 302, 307, 147, 149, 294 and 506.
BJP state president VD Sharma reacted strongly over the FIR registered against Pateria by stating that police have filed case on the baseless allegations of Congress. He said that those who filed the bogus FIR would not be spared and a complaint was made with EC and police in this regard.
Two group clashes in Dimni, one injured
Tension prevailed during polling in high-profile Dimni assembly constituency when two groups clashed by resorting to stone pelting. One youth was injured. There is also news that firing took place in Dimni, but could not be confirmed.
From Dimni, Union Minister Narendra Singh Tomar is the BJP Candidate. In another incident, BJP candidate from Mehgaon, Rakesh Shukla was injured as a group of people allegedly threw stones on him. The guard of Shukla had to fire in air to save him.
In Shujalpur, supporters of BJP candidate and School Education Minister Inder Singh Parmar and Congress candidate Ramveer Singh Sikarwar exchanged heated words.
At the time of incident, Parmar was present. In Gwalior East assembly constituencies, BJP and Congress supporters came face to face over the victory related claims. This incident left two persons injured.
Polling in Naxal affected areas from 7 am till 3 pm
In Naxal affected areas of Balaghat, Mandla and Dindori, voting was held from 7 am till 3 pm. In Balaghat, three assembly constituencies, including Baihar, Lanji and Paraswada, 47 polling centre of Mandla and 40 polling centres of Dindori went for polling between 7 am till 3 PM.
Fact related to Assembly election 2023
Total Assembly constituencies 230
General seats: 148
Schedule Caste seats: 35
Schedule Tribe seats: 47
Total candidates : 2533
Male candidates: 2,280
Female candidates: 252 candidates
Total voters : 5,60,58,521
Male voters : 2 ,87,82261
Female voters: 2,71,99,586
Third gender : 1,292
First time voters: 22.36 lakh
80 plus voters: 6.53 lakh
100 years old voters: 5078 (male 1422, female 3656)
Total booths: 64,626 Gender ratio: 945
