Rajnandgaon LS by-poll counting tomorrow

Rajnandgaon, Mar 31 (UNI) Counting of votes of the by-election for the Rajnandgain Lok Sabha seat in Chhattisgarh will be held tomorrow.

District collector and returning officer R S Vishwakarma said elaborate arrangements had been made for counting of votes of the eight assembly segments of the constituency.

Since Electronic Voting Machine (EVMs) had been used for the election, trends could be available in the first few hours and the result was expected by noon.

About 63 per cent of the more than 11 lakh voters had exercised their franchise in the March 29 by-election.

Both the ruling BJP as well as the main opposition Congress have high stakes in this by-election, which was necessitated following expulsion of BJP MP Pradeep Gandhi from the lower house of parliament in view of his involvement in the 'cash-for-question' scandal.

The main contest was between Mr Leelaram Bhojwani (BJP) and Mr Devarat Singh (Congress) while 13 other candidates were also in the fray.

UNI