Madhya Pradesh assembly polls: 70 per cent voter turnout(Pics)

, Nov 25: Madhya Pradesh recorded the highest-ever voter turnout of over 70 per cent. Madhya Pradesh assembly

began on Monday at 8 am amid tight security.

According to the pre-poll surveys, BJP may have a straight third term as the head of the state.

The Congress, which was ousted 10 years ago is now banking on a youth scion of the Gwalior royal family Jyotiraditya Scindia.

Senior Madhya Pradesh BJP leader, Kailash Vijayvargiya while talking to media, after casting his vote said the party was confident of winning at least 160 seats in the state.

5.00 pm: Voting time over

As the clock struck 5 pm, the Election Commission closed the the voting for remaining 227 assembly seats in Madhya Pradesh. Till 5 pm, about 70 percent voting has been registered. Though exact figures has been not declared by the EC.

The highest voting is registered in Saunsar with 72 per cent. Meanwhile voting ended on three Naxal-affected seats of Balaghat including Launji, Parswada and Baihar. These all three seats registered 65.74, Parswada 66 percent and Baihar 71.30 voting till 3 pm.

4.00 pm: 46.23 per cent voter turnout

An average polling of 43.26 per cent was recorded till 1600 hours.

Additional Chief Electoral Officer for Madhya Pradesh, V L Kantha Rao told reporters that the average for male voters was 43.92 per cent while that for female voters was 42.73 per cent.

He said that a maximum of 47 per cent of female voters had cast their votes in Susner constituency (Shajapur) while 55 per cent males had exercised their franchise in Narsinghgarh seat (Rajgarh).

In Sirmour constituency of Rewa district, votes of 94 people could not be recorded due to fault of the returning officer.

3.00 pm: Good voter turnout

Madhya Pradesh saw brisk voting with the Congress claiming it was poised to oust the BJP, which has ruled the sprawling state for 10 long years, officials said.

Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, contesting from his traditional Budhni constituency as well as from Vidisha, is confident of winning another five-year term.

2.00 pm: Enthusiastic voting in urban and rural areas

The voting saw huge enthusiasm in Madhya Pradesh as voters came out early in the morning to vote for the next leader of their state.

Not only the urban areas, but rural areas and villages also witnessed huge enthusiasm in voters.

12.30 pm: 30 per cent voter turnout

Omkareshwar and Ganjbasauda registered 30 percent voting whereas Ujjain, Rewa, Sihor, Raisen has registered about 12 per cent voting within two hours of morning. Whereas Gwalior, Balaghat and Panna registered 15, 20 and 21 per cent voting.

12:00 pm: 26 per cent voting recorded till noon

An enthusiastic turnout was witnessed in the single-phase election to the 230-strong Madhya Pradesh assembly with long queues of voters at polling booths and a 26 percent voting registered till 12 am, an Election Commission official said.

Braving the cold morning, many voters queued up at some polling centres even before these opened. As the sun rose, the lines of waiting voters started to lengthen.

11:00 am: Brisk turnout in Madhya Pradesh poll

About 18 per cent of the electorate exercised their franchise till 11 AM.

In three Maoist-affected constituencies- Baihar, Paraswada and Lanjhi district, voting began at 7 am and would conclude at 3 pm.

10.30 am: Sushma Swaraj casts her vote

MP CM Shivraj Singh reached his deity temple in his native village Jait Gaon along with his family. After casting his vote, Chouhan appealed people to use their "right to vote" and claimed that BJP will form government third time in state.

Leader of opposition in Parliament, Sushma Swaraj also voted in Bhopal at 10.30 am.

10:00 am: Firing in Bhind, EVM vandalized

Brisk polling is underway in the Madhya Pradesh assembly elections with 15 percent turnout reported till 10 am, an Election Commission official said.

Violence was reported from Bhind and Satna districts of MP. Four people were reportedly injured in Satna whereas one got injured in Bhind. Mentioned as most critical polling booth's in MP election, firing was reported on 108 number polling booth of Hirapur village of Lahar of Bhind district.

Apart from this, an EVM Machine was vandalised at Chaurai booth of Lahar district. Four BSP workers also got injured in scuffle in Nainua village of Satna district over a dispute of bogus voting. BJP and BSP workers attacked each other with sharp edged weapons.

9:10 am: Voter lists

Standing in queue waiting for their turn were politicians Kamal Nath, who cast his vote in the Shikarpur constituency. Among the other politicians who cast their votes included Congress candidate and former union minister Suresh Pachouri from Bhopal, MP chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and his wife Sadhna who cast their vote in Budhni.

7:40 am: MP polls begin amid tight security

Today is a crucial day for Madhya Pradesh and a deciding term for the BJP and the main opposition Congress. Close to 230 seats would be contested today in a nail-biting competition between the present Chief Minister (BJP) Shivraj Singh Chouhan and the Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia.

Over 4.6 crore (46 million) voters are eligible to exercise their right to franchise. The results will be out Dec 8.In the 2008 polls, the Bharatiya Janata Party won 143 seats while the Congress won 71.

Narendra Modi's Twitter account said:

"Urging people of Madhya Pradesh & Mizoram to turnout in large numbers & cast their vote in the Assembly Elections today."

Chouhan's tweets:

Voting is your right, and right voting is your responsibility. Choose your future wisely.

— ShivrajSingh Chouhan (@ChouhanShivraj) November 24, 2013

My heartiest wishes to every member of my family of MP on the day of celebrating democracy. Do vote. bring others to vote for progress.

— ShivrajSingh Chouhan (@ChouhanShivraj) November 25, 2013

In Bhopal

A CRPF Jawan keeping vigil at a polling booth on the eve of Madhya Pradesh Assembly Election, in Bhopal on Sunday.

Assembly Elections 2013 Madhya Pradesh.

Assembly Elections 2013 Madhya Pradesh.

In Bhopal

Security personnel leave for poll duty on the eve of Madhya Pradesh state assembly elections in Bhopal on Sunday.

In Bhopal

Poll officials check Elctronic Voting Machines (EVM) and other election materials distributed to them before Madhya Pradesh state assembly elections in Bhopal on Sunday.

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