Lok Sabha Election 2024: 70 pc voting recorded in MP; fate of 88 candidates sealed in EVMs

 

Bhopal: In the first phase of Lok Sabha elections-2024, voting for six parliamentary seats in Madhya Pradesh was completed peacefully today and about seventy percent of the total voters, out of more than one crore 13 lakh, exercised their franchise. This figure is likely to increase further.

With this, the fate of 88 candidates from six seats was sealed in the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs).

Voting started from 7 am till 6 pm amid strict security arrangements. Voting in three assembly constituencies of Naxalite-affected Balaghat parliamentary constituency had ended at 4 pm itself. Voting ended smoothly and peacefully in all 13 thousand 588 polling stations.

75 pc cast vote in Chhindwara, Balaghat

On an average, more than 75 percent voting took place in Chhindwara parliamentary constituency. Apart from this, there was more than 60 percent voting in Jabalpur, more than 75 percent in Balaghat, around 70 percent in Mandla, 63 percent in Shahdol and more than 55 percent in Sidhi. The final figures have not been released even after 7 pm. The voting percentage is likely to increase further in all these areas.

Nakul trying hard to retain seat

In this phase, all eyes are on Chhindwara parliamentary seat, considered the most prestigious, where Nakul Nath, son of senior Congress leader and former CM Kamal Nath, is trying to enter Parliament for the second consecutive time as a Congress candidate. The ruling party BJP is preparing to break into this stronghold of Congress by fielding its candidate Vivek Bunty Sahu.

Kulaste pitted against Congress's Markam in Mandla

Among the remaining seats, Mandla (SC) is also prominent, where senior tribal leader Faggan Singh Kulaste is contesting against Congress's Omkar Singh Markam as the BJP candidate. BJP's Ms. Bharti Pardhi and Congress's Samrat Sarswar are face to face in Balaghat. 

In Jabalpur, Congress's Dinesh Yadav and BJP's Ashish Dubey are in the contest, in Sidhi, BJP's Dr Rajesh Mishra and former Congress minister Kamleshwar Patel and in Shahdol (SC) Himadri Singh of BJP and Congress's Phundelal Marco are in the contest. Seven women are also among the total 88 candidates on all six seats in the first phase.