Madhya Pradesh records 76.22 per cent voter turnout

In what is being seen as a massive anti-incumbency voting, Madhya Pradesh recorded a 76.22 per cent voter turnout on Friday, 17 November, the Election Commission (ECI) of India said.

According to the ECI, polling at several booths went on till late at night, including in Gwalior South and Bairasia in Bhopal.

The fate of some high-profile candidates, including Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Union ministers Narendra Singh Tomar, Prahlad Patel, Faggan Singh Kulaste, MPs Rakesh Singh, Ganesh Singh, Riti Pathak, state Congress chief Kamal Nath, LoP Govind Singh, among others, has been sealed in the EVM machines as the polling concluded on Friday.

Out of the total 2,533 candidates in the fray, a transgender candidate is contesting from Malhara in Chhatarpur district. Of the total 230 seats, 148 are general category, while 35 seats are reserved for SCs and 47 for STs.

While the BJP is looking to retain power, the Congress is hoping to make a comeback with absolute majority this time.

Both the parties made a slew of promises to woo the voters, including cash incentives and waiving loans of farmers, among others.

Meanwhile, the state also witnessed some incidents of violence during polling on Friday.

The BJP candidate from Rajnagar in Chhatarpur district, Arvind Pateriya, has been booked along with his 19 associates for allegedly crushing Congress councillor Salman Khan to death during the wee hours of Friday.

Khan was driving Rajnagar Congress nominee and sitting MLA Vikram Singh at the time of the incident, and the MLA alleged that Pateriya and his men tried to kill him too.

Khajuraho police have booked 20 persons, including the BJP candidate, on the complaint filed by Vikram Singh.

Pateriya, however, released a video accusing the MLA of spreading lies and indulging in dirty politics.

Pateriya said that he was not present on the spot, adding that Khan was killed during infighting among inebriated Congress workers. He also sought a judicial probe into the incident and punishment for the guilty.

Violence was also reported from Morena and Bhind districts in the Chambal region as well as from Indore and Bhopal.

The BJP candidate from Mehgaon in Bhind district, Rakesh Shukla, suffered minor injury during stone pelting between rival groups. He was rushed to a nearby hospital for treatment.