Moderate to brisk turnout in bypolls for 3 LS, 7 assembly seats; cop stabbed in Tripura
New Delhi, June 23
Moderate to brisk turnout was recorded till 1 pm in the bypolls for three Lok Sabha and seven assembly seats spread across five states and one Union territory on Thursday amid an incident of violence in Tripura where a policeman was stabbed.
Counting of votes for the bypolls in Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Tripura, Andhra Pradesh and Jharkhand will be taken up on Sunday.
While Punjab recorded over 30 per cent polling till 3 pm in the Sangrur Lok Sabha seat, around 28 per cent voters in Azamgarh and Rampur Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh exercised their franchise till 1 pm.
An impressive voter turnout was recorded in Tripura till 1 pm which is witnessing bypolls to four assembly seats of Agartala, Town Bardowali, Surma and Jubarajnagar seats.
While Agartala saw 54.20 per cent of the voters exercising their franchise till 1 pm, Surma and Jubarjnagar in Tripura recorded 53.50 per cent and 46.56 per cent respectively. Town Bardowali saw 52.16 per cent voter turnout, according to the EC.
Over 26 per cent polling was recorded since voting began for the bypoll to the Rajinder Nagar assembly constituency in the national capital.
In Andhra Pradesh, over 44 per cent of the voters exercised their right in Atmakur till 1 pm while 44.81 per cent voters exercised their franchise in the by-election to Mandar assembly seat in Jharkhand’s Ranchi district.
In Tripura, Chief Minister Manik Saha is among the prominent candidates contesting the bypolls. Tripura witnessed an incident of violence with an off-duty police constable, Samir Saha being stabbed in the stomach while he was going with his family to exercise his franchise in Kunjaban area in Agartala constituency, a police officer said, adding the assailants attempted to prevent Saha and his family members from casting their vote.
Saha, who is attached to Gandacherra Police Station in Dhalai district, has been admitted to a hospital and his condition is stated to be stable, he said.
Voting was underway on a moderate pace in Delhi’s Rajinder Nagar seat. The two major contenders — the AAP and the BJP — have exuded confidence that their candidates will emerge victorious. The bypolls was necessitated in the wake of AAP leader Raghav Chadha leaving the seat after being elected to the Rajya Sabha recently. Chadha was the MLA from the Rajinder Nagar Assembly seat.
In Jharkhand, bypoll to Mandar assembly seat is underway amid tight security.
