Less polling in reserved constituencies in MP

Bhopal, Nov 29 (UNI) While average polling for the Assembly election in Madhya Pradesh was estimated at 69.31 per cent, constituencies reserved for the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes recorded comparatively less polling, official statistics indicated.

While Waraseoni in Balaghat district registered the state's highest polling of 84.07 per cent, the lowest 48.82 per cent was registered in Jhabua district's Jobat constituency reserved for ST.

Morena district's Ambah constituency reserved for SC also has low voters turnout of 48.83 per cent, while Khargone's Maheshwar constituency, also reserved for SC, recorded a high turnout of 82.21 per cent, according to the polling data made available by the election office.

Among the constituencies reserved for ST, Ratlam's Sailana segment registered a higher polling of 79.94 per cent.

Of the total 230 constituencies, which went to polls on November 27, 35 are reserved for SC and 47 for ST. After the recent delimitation exercise, the seats reserved for SC had gone up by one and for ST by six.

Constituencies reserved for scheduled tribes recorded an average of 67.12 per cent polling as compared to a higher 70.11 per cent in areas reserved for the scheduled tribes. .

Madhya Pradesh had been recording increased polling in election after election and in the 2003 Assembly election, the average polling was 67.41 per cent.

Dhar district's Kukshi from where Leader of Opposition and senior Congress leader Jamuna Devi was in the fray registered 68.94 per cent. She was in the elctoral fray since 1952.

Polling percentage in Tribal Welfare Minister Vijay Shah's constituency Harsud (ST) in Khandwa district was 71.23 and that of Minister of State for General Administration Ranjana Baghel's Manawar constituency in Dhar district was 76.62.

UNI SP-KV GL NS1442