MP: Datia bypoll concludes peacefully, records 71.44 pc voter turnout
Datia, July 30
Polling for the Datia Assembly by-election concluded peacefully on Thursday, recording an approximately 71.44 per cent voter turnout, Datia District Collector Swapnil Wankhade said.
The Collector also said that the polling process concluded smoothly at 6 pm, with all 291 polling stations reporting peaceful voting and no incidents of violence or breach of peace.
"The Datia bypoll concluded at 6 pm, and a total voter turnout of 71.44 per cent was recorded across all 291 polling stations. No incidents of breach of peace were reported at any polling station. The entire polling process remained peaceful and orderly. No voting machines had to be replaced during polling," Collector Wankhade said.
He said the polling process was continuously monitored throughout the day. CCTV cameras and CRPF personnel were deployed at all polling stations across the constituency to ensure the peaceful polling.
According to the provisional figures, 74.09 per cent of the 1,16,116 registered male voters exercised their franchise, while 68.48 per cent of the 1,04,284 registered female voters cast their votes. Among the 10 voters in the "other" category, 40 per cent turnout was recorded. With this, the overall voter turnout stood at 71.44 per cent.
Earlier, the polling trends showed that voter turnout recorded 12.94 per cent till 9 am, 32.53 per cent till 11 am, and 48.91 per cent till 1 pm, 61.48 per cent till 3 pm and 68.78 percent till 5 pm.
Polling for Datia by-elections began at 7 am and concluded at 6 pm. The counting of votes will take place on August 3.
The Datia Assembly seat fell vacant following the disqualification of Congress MLA Rajendra Bharti on April 2. The BJP has fielded Ashutosh Tiwari, while the Congress has nominated Ghanshyam Singh.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Well done to the Election Commission and local authorities for a smooth process. No machine breakdowns and no violence – that's how elections should be everywhere in India 🇮🇳. Let's hope the winning candidate focuses on Datia's development issues like water and roads, not just politics.
71% is decent. I see they deployed CRPF and CCTV, which is good for confidence. Why can't we have this standard of peaceful polling everywhere? The real test now is whether people in Datia get a good representative or just another party loyalist.
Impressive turnout in the "other" category – 40% from just 10 voters! 😄 But seriously, it's good to see democracy alive and well in Madhya Pradesh. Hope the counting on August 3rd is equally transparent. The BJP will be confident after the Lok Sabha results, but local issues can swing things.
Peaceful bypoll in Datia is a positive sign. But as an observer, I'd like to see more women casting their votes in future – 68.48% is still low compared to men. Perhaps local NGOs and the administration can work on that. The Collector seems proactive though.
A bypoll is a mini-referendum on the government's performance. The peaceful conduct is good, but turnouts in bypolls are often lower than general elections – so 71% is respectable. Let's see if Congress can pull off a surprise or if BJP's Ashutosh Tiwari wins easily.
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