Re-polling in 4 booths in M.P.'s Betul Lok Sabha seat sees 72.97% turnout

Voters wait in queues at a polling station in Betul seat to cast their votes for the third phase of Lok Sabha Polls on May 7 in Madhya Pradesh. | Photo Credit: ANI

A voter turnout of 72.97% was recorded at four booths in Madhya Pradesh's Betul Lok Sabha seat where re-polling took place on Friday after electronic voting machines (EVMs) used in the May 7 voting were damaged in a fire, an official said.

The voting started at 7 a.m. and ended at 6 p.m., the official added.

The Election Commission (EC) on Wednesday ordered re-polling at the four booths after a few EVMs were damaged when a bus ferrying the gadgets and polling personnel post-voting caught fire on Tuesday night near Sonora Gaula village in Betul district.

The four polling centres come under Multai Assembly segment of Betul parliamentary seat (ST reserved). A dry day and holiday were announced in the areas covered by re-polling, the official said.

An estimated 72.65% polling was recorded in the Lok Sabha seat on May 7, the election official said earlier.

Betul was among nine seats in M.P. which voted in the third phase of the ongoing Lok Sabha election. Eight candidates were in the fray, but the main fight is between sitting BJP MP Durgadas Uikey and Ramu Tekam of Congress.

The BJP has been winning the Betul seat since 1996.