Opposition Cong urges EC to conduct MP bypolls via ballot papers
The Opposition Congress on Wednesday demanded the Election Commission to conduct by-polls at Vijaypur and Budhni in Madhya Pradesh through the ballot paper system.
The third phase of Lok Sabha elections 2019 recorded 65.71 per cent voter turnout on 23 April, the Election Commission said. Voting was held in 117 Lok Sabha seats in Phase 3, covering all constituencies in Gujarat (26) and Kerala (20), besides 13 other states and UTs.
BJP president Amit Shah, Congress chief Rahul Gandhi and several Union ministers were among the prominent candidates in the fray.
Voter turnout in the third phase of Lok Sabha elections was 65.71 per cent (at 9 pm), said the poll panel.
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In the first two phases, on April 11 and April 18, election was held to 91 and 95 seats, and an overall turnout of 69.45% and 69.43%, respectively, was recorded. With the third phase getting over, election to 303 constituencies of the 543-seat Lok Sabha is over. The counting of votes will be done on May 23.
In Phase 3, Assam topped the voter turnout figures recording 80.73% polling.
West Bengal was a close second at 79.63 per cent, followed by Tripura at 79.57 per cent. Phase 3 of the polls in Bengal was however marred by violence with one person being hacked to death in Murshidabad.
In Jammu and Kashmir, a vehicle carrying polling staff after the voting concluded in Anantnag seat met with an accident Tuesday, killing a police constable and injuring four others.
Eleven deaths were reported from Kerala, but all were due to “natural” reasons, according to Deputy Election Commissioner Sudip Jain.
Technical glitches in the electronic voting machines were also reported from many constituencies, about which Jain told reporters 1593 of the total 2.81 lakh ballot units deployed, and 1225 of out of 2.11 lakh control units were replaced.
Of the total 2.11 lakh paper trail machines, 4725 were replaced, he said.
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