Guwahati, Oct 6 (PTI) Voting for the by-election to the Nagaon Lok Sabha seat in Assam concluded peacefully at 5 pm on Tuesday as 76 per cent of 19.05 lakh electors exercised their franchise, an official said.
The final poll percentage, however, is expected to rise as electors who entered the polling stations before the closure of the gates would be allowed to cast their votes, he said.
The by-election was necessitated as Congress MP Pradyut Bordoloi resigned and successfully contested the assembly elections from Dispur on a BJP ticket earlier this year.
“Voting, which commenced at 7 am, was peaceful as no untoward incident was reported from any polling station in the eight assembly segments under the Lok Sabha constituency,” the official said.
Minor EVM glitches were reported from a few polling booths but the machines were immediately replaced and polling continued.
The highest turnout of 80.22 per cent was registered in Samaguri assembly constituency and the lowest of 70.27 per cent in Raha till 5 pm.
In the remaining six assembly segments, Morigaon recorded 72.84 per cent turnout, Nagaon-Batadraba 72.01 per cent, Rupahihat 77.67 per cent, Dhing 77.93 percent, Jagiroad 76.61 percent and Laharighat 78.88 per cent.
BJP candidate Devashis Sharma, a former IAS officer, cast his vote at a polling booth in Mayong Higher Secondary School under Jagiroad assembly constituency, while Congress candidate and former MLA Sibamoni Bora exercised his franchise at Majgaon Primary School in Nagaon-Batadraba assembly segment.
“Voters will elect a suitable candidate,” Sharma, who was the deputy commissioner of Nagaon district before he resigned to contest the by-election, told reporters after exercising his franchise.
Bora said, “Everyone is aware that the BJP and the AIUDF are the same entity, but I am confident that the Congress will retain the seat.”
Fifteen candidates are in the fray, but the main contest is expected to be triangular among Sharma, Bora and AIUDF chief Badruddin Ajmal.
While the bypoll result will not impact the balance of power in Parliament, stakes are high for major political parties.
The ruling BJP is seeking to expand its base in this Muslim-majority constituency, while the Congress is going all out to retain the seat by keeping its minority support base intact.
The AIUDF, the third prominent party in the fray, is fighting to maintain its influence after it was reduced to two MLAs from 16 in the assembly elections in April.
The district administration has made elaborate security arrangements, with 624 polling stations identified as sensitive, another official said.
A total of 19.05 lakh voters, including 9.43 lakh women and 50 third-gender electors, were eligible to cast their votes at 2,312 polling stations, including five auxiliary booths.
The counting of votes is scheduled for October 9. PTI DG BDC MNB DG ACD
This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.