Indore Settles With Average Polling as 2019 Lok Sabha Election Concludes in MP

Bhopal: The trend of above par polling witnessed in earlier three phases of polling continued in the seventh and last phase of the polls on Sunday and eight lok sabha seats that went to polls registered over 72 per cent voter turnout.

The most prestigious, Indore seat saw dismal polling to start with but the polling picked up later as the city of Holkars inched closer to 65 per cent turn out by evening.

Last time the eight parliament seats had recorded 67 per cent voting in 2014.

Besides, Dewas saw brisk polling right from the start and concluded with 78.48 per cent voter turnout. Total 71.65 per cent exercised franchise in Ujjain, 73.49 per cent in Mandsaur, 71.35 per cent in Ratlam, 71.17 per cent in Dhar, 65.18 per cent in Indore, 76.09 per cent in Kahrgone and 74.26 per cent in Khandwa.

Prominent faces in the fray in the last phase were former union minister Kantilal Bhuria, senior Congress leader Meenakshi Natrajan, ex-MPCC head Arun Yadav, former BJP state head Nandkumar Singh Chauhan and noted Kabir bhajan singer Prahlad Tipaniya.

The polling was boycotted at half a dozen villages in various districts but the administration managed to convince voters to exercise their franchise later. However, at village Pichhla in Suwasra assembly seat in Mandsaur, the voters remained adamant on boy cott and only four votes were polled till 4pm in the village.

A woman voter, 58-year-old Genda Bai, died of cardiac arrest while standing in the queue outside polling booth under Sailana area in Ratlam, said Chief Electoral Officer of MP VL Kantha Rao.

Part of these eight LS seats, the 64 assembly constituencies had recorded 77 per cent polling during 2018 assembly polls, added Rao. On poll boycott, Rao clarified the commission make efforts to address issues of the voters in advance in case the boycott is announced ahead of the polls by asking the government department concerned to solve the issues of the region.

In village Khadki in Khandwa, only eight votes were polled by 4pm.

The officer confirmed that an FIR was lodged against eight persons including an MP minister in Alirajpur the other day for campaigning beyond the permissible time limit in the constituency.

“The minister was campaigning with 30 party workers after the campaigning had officially ended,” said Rao.

Jhabua-Ratlam MP Kantilal Bhuria was campaigning with Minister of Tourism and Narmada Valley Development Corporation Surendra Singh Baghel and others in Alirajpur on May 17 after the campaigning ended by 6pm.

No untoward incident was reported from the state during polling on Sunday.