Bhopal: Voters boycott polls in Bairahana, Semra villages

Bhopal: More than 65 percent of the voters turned out to vote in Chitrakoot by-election on Thursday. Female voters turned out in more numbers compared to their male counterparts. Joint election commissioner S S Bansal said that the by-election was held peacefully. However, EVMs had to be replaced in some places.

The voters boycotted elections in Bairahana, Semra and Bichiya villages. Unwilling to vote, residents of both Bairahana and Semra village who had to vote at polling station number 179 gathered in their villages and raised slogans, “Road nahi toh vote nahi” (No road, no vote). The voters were angry over lack of basic development like roads, water supply, health care and schools. No votes were cast at this polling station.

Similarly, voters boycotted polls in Bichiya till 3.05 pm. The voters were dissatisfied with lack of development in their area. They turned up to vote at polling station number 117only after administration asked them to exercise their right. At 5 pm, 65.7 percent of the voters had exercised their franchise at 257 polling stations. This included 65.89 female voters and 64.37 male voters had casted their votes.

The main contest was between the Congress candidate Nilanshu Chaturvedi and BJP candidate Shankar Dayal Tripathi. A total of 13 candidates were in fray. Two candidates had withdrawn their candidature while nomination forms of 11 candidates were rejected. Chitrakoot assembly constituency has 1.98 lakh voters. Of the total, 1,06 lakh are males and 91,730 are females.