About 10 per cent polling in first two hours in Vidisha, Malehra

Bhopal, Oct 30 (UNI) About 10 per cent of the electorate exercised their franchise in the first two hours of polling for the by-elections to Vidisha Lok Sabha and Malehra assembly constituencies in Madhya Pradesh, amid tight security, today.

''Polling is progressing peacefully in Vidisha and Malehra,'' Election office sources said today.

More than 12 companies of CRPF were deployed in Vidisha, while three companies each of CRPF and SAF were deployed in Malehra.

About 12 per cent of the 1.84 lakh voters cast their votes through Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) in Malehra constituency in Chhatarpur district where the by-election was caused by the resignation of Bharatiya Jan Shakti Founder-President Uma Bharti.

In Vidisha Lok Sabha constituency, spread over Vidisha, Sehore and Raisen districts, about 10 per cent electorate cast their votes till 1000 hrs.

Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, whose resignation rendered the Vidisha seat vacant, cast his vote at his native Jait village in Budhni assembly segment at 0820 hrs. More than 13.15 lakh voters are listed to exercise their franchise in 1,460 polling booths in Vidisha.

In Budhni segment, polling percentage was 18 in the first three hours, while it was nine per cent in the four assembly segments in Vidisha district as well as in three assembly segments in Raisen district in the first two hours.

State PHE Minister and BJP nominee Rampal Singh is pitted in a 10-cornered contest in Vidisha with Mrs Rajshri Singh (Congress), Mr Raghunandan Sharma (BJS) and Mr Munavar Salim (SP) as main rivals.

In a 22-cornered contest in Malehra constituency, Ms Rekha Yadav (BJS), Mr Jagdish Shukla (Congress), Mr Kapoorchand Ghuwara (BJP), Mr Sukhlal Joshi (CPI), Mr Surendra Singh Yadav (SP) and Mr Mahesh Chandra Kushwaha (Rashtriya Samanta Dal) are the main contestants.

UNI SP-PS YA DS1225