Estimated 15 per cent polling in MP byelections till noon

Bhopal, Mar 8 (UNI) An estimated 15 per cent of more than 26 lakh electorate exercised their franchise today till noon today in the by-elections to Gwalior and Sidhi(ST) Lok Sabha and Udaypura Assembly constituencies in Madhya Pradesh.

According to official sources, polling in 2,749 booths was progressing peacefully amid tight security arrangements. As many as 29 companies of CRPF, besides Special Armed Force, Home Guards and district police personnel have been deployed in the three constituencies, having over 26 lakh electorate and 45 candidates.

In Gwalior, nearly 15 per cent of the over 13 lakh electorate exercised their franchise in the first four hours after polling began at 0730 hours. State Tourism Minister Yashodhara Raje Scindia(BJP) and Mr Ashok Singh (Congress) are among the 24 candidates in the fray from the seat.

Expelled BJP leader and Bhartiya Jan Shakti President Uma Bharti was not allowed to visit Gwalior last night. She was stopped at Morena for the night and allowed to proceed to Babina today, police said.

In Sidhi(ST) constituency, about 10 per cent of nearly 11 lakh elctorate cast their votes in the first four hours. As many as 13 candidates, including Mr Manik Singh(Cong) and BJP's Kunwar Singh, are in the fray from Sidhi.

More than 20 per cent polling was recorded in the first four hours in Udaypura assembly constituency in Raisen district, where an additional company of Special Armed Force was requisitioned from Bhopal today in addition to five companies of CRPF and two companies of SAF and 400 police jawans. There are a total of nearly two lakh electorate in the constituency.

Additional security personnel were deployed due to the presence of a large number of prominent politicians, including legislators, in the rural constituency. Vidisha's BJP MP Rampal Singh's wife Shashi Prabha Singh (BJP) and Mr Saheb Singh Patel(Cong) were among the 8 candidates in the fray.

Gwalior and Sidhi seats fell vacant due to disqualification of incumbents Ramsevak (Cong) and Chandra Pratap Singh (BJP) who were caught in the cash-for-query scam. Udaypura seat fell vacant due to resignation by Mr Rampal Singh on his election to the Lok Sabha in the bypoll from Vidisha, which was earlier held by Mr Shivraj Singh Chouhan, who quit after becoming Chief Minister.

UNI