rediff.com: 55 per cent vote in assembly bye-elections

Police opened fire to thwart attempts at capturing polling booths in Asthawan and Ramgarh in Bihar and Jharkhand, respectively. But otherwise polling in bye-elections to 11 assembly constituencies spread over seven states passed off peacefully with an estimated 55 per cent of the electorate casting its votes to decide the fate of chief ministers Babulal Marandi (Jharkhand) and Ajit Jogi (Chhattisgarh), among others.

Bihar Director General of Police R R Prasad said police action at Mohni village of Asthawan constituency, where two constituents of the National Democratic Alliance, the Samata Party and Ram Vilas Paswan's Jan Shakti, are pitted against each other, came when anti-social elements opened fire in a bid to grab a booth.

He said suspected Rashtriya Janata Dal supporters tore up some 50 ballots at Nehruth village in the constituency, leading to disruption of polling there for about half an hour.

About 60 per cent of the total 180,262 voters exercised their franchise in this constituency in Nalanda district.

In Ramgarh constituency in Jharkhand, from where Chief Minister Marandi is seeking entry into the assembly, police fired in the air to drive away a group of 12 goons who stormed a booth at Kanke Badh village and pelted stones at the security personnel.

An estimated 60 per cent of the electorate exercised its franchise to decide the fate of the Bharatiya Janata Party's Marandi, who was pitted against the Communist Party of India's Nathra Begum, widow of CPI legislator Shabbir Ahmed Quraishi, and the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha's Arjun Ram Mahato.

In Marwahi constituency, where Chief Minister Jogi was pitted against the BJP's Amar Singh Kusro, 55 per cent polling was recorded.

The bye-election there was caused by the resignation of the BJP's Ram Dayal Uikey, who vacated the seat for Jogi and joined the ruling Congress.

About 70 per cent votes were cast in Punjab's Majitha assembly constituency where five candidates were in the fray. The seat fell vacant following the death of Cabinet minister and senior Shiromani Akali Dal politician Parkash Singh Majitha.

The SAD fielded Rajya Sabha member Raj Mohinder Singh while Sawinder Singh Will contested on the Congress ticket.

A total of 28 candidates were in the fray in Bharthna, Siwalkhas and Sarawan in Uttar Pradesh.

In Rajasthan's Hindoli constituency, where 55 per cent of the voters exercised their franchise, an interesting contest was on for the seat with two Gujjars -- Congress candidate Ram Karan Gujjar and the BJP's Nathu Singh Gujjar -- in a neck-and-neck race.

Shahpur in Madhya Pradesh, which witnessed a straight contest between BJP candidate Ramdas Shivhare and Shriram Patel of the Congress, recorded about 65 per cent polling. This bye-election was caused by Congress legislator Sanyogita Deshmukh's death in an accident near Satara in Maharashtra.

The constituencies that went to the polls on Monday were Giddalur and Badvei (Andhra Pradesh), Asthawan (Bihar), Marwahi (Chhattisgarh), Ramgarh (Jharkhand), Hindoli (Rajasthan), Kadamtala (Tripura), Shahpur (Madhya Pradesh), Siwalkhas, Sarawan and Bharthna (Uttar Pradesh) and Majitha (Punjab).


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