BHOPAL: Loudspeakers and other means of public address systems being used by the political parties over the last few days ahead of the bypolls in Ater and Bandhavgarh constituencies died down on Friday at 5 pm. The polling is scheduled in both the constituencies on April 9. In Ater constituency, 21 candidates are contesting the elections. From BJP Arvind Singh Bhadoria and from Congress Hemant Katare are the main contenders.
In Bandhavgarh, five candidates are contesting. From Congress Savtri Singh and from the BJP, son of minister Gyan Singh, Shivnarayan Singh are contesting. The bypolls have drawn attention of whole the nation, when in Bhind, during demonstration it is alleged that CEO Saleena Singh had pushed four buttons of EVM and VVPAT, which had given the lotus symbol of the BJP.
The controversy led to ECI removing 19 officers, including the collector and SP of Bhind. The team from ECI also camped in the district to redress the complaints made by the Congress. In the recent past the ECI has not taken such a big step to conduct free and fair elections, as was taken in Madhya Pradesh.