As much as 71.27 percent voting was registered during the bypoll for the Jasdan Assembly constituency in Gujarat's Rajkot district on Thursday, 20 December, PTI reported, citing poll officials. The final figure may vary slightly.
Eight candidates are in the fray for the much-hyped bypoll, but all eyes are on the two big contenders from the BJP and the Congress.
While the BJP had fielded Kunvarji Bavaliya for the by-election, the Congress' candidate is Avsar Nakiya, a Rajkot district panchayat member.
The election became necessary after Bavaliya, an influential Koli community leader who had won the seat on Congress ticket in 2017, joined the BJP and resigned as MLA on 2 July and was made a cabinet minister in the BJP government in the state on the same day.
Nakiya, another strong candidate from the Koli community, is known to have a strong ground connect, which analysts say will help him give a good fight to the BJP.
No untoward incident was reported during the polling which got over at 5 pm.
Two complaints of breach of the model code of conduct are being probed, Gujarat Chief Electoral Officer S Murali Krishna said, reported PTI.
Counting of votes will take place on 23 December.
The bypoll has gained significance in the backdrop of the BJP losing three of the Hindi heartland states in the recent state Assembly elections.
Five Candidates in the Fray for Jharkhand’s Kolibera
Meanwhile, in Jharkhand, 62.89 percent voter turnout was reportedly recorded for Kolibera Assembly bypoll. The final figure may vary.
A total of five candidates are in the fray for this constituency.
BJP's Basant Soreng, Menan Ekka of the Jharkhand Party, Congress's Naman Vixcel Kongadi, Anil Kandulna of Sengel Party and an Independent candidate, Basant Dungdung, are in the fray.
The bypoll was necessitated after Enos Ekka, a Jharkhand Party MLA, lost his membership following his conviction in a murder case.
(With inputs from PTI, IANS)
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