63 pc voting in Chhattisgarh bypolls

Raipur, June 2 (UNI) Nearly 63 per cent of a 3.19-lakh electorate today exercised their franchise in Assembly bypolls to Chhattisgarh's Khairagarh and Malkharoda (SC) constituencies.

Voting took place peacefully including in naxal areas of Khairagarh, state election officials said. While the turnout was 66 per cent in Khairagarh, the corresponding figure was 61 per cent in the other constituency.

In Khairagarh, Congress candidate Padma Singh, BJP nominee Komal Janghel and BSP's Kumbhlal Sahu are locked in a nine-corner contest while 18 candidates are in the fray at Malkharoda where the key contest is between BSP's Lalsai Khunte, BJP's Nirmal Sinha and Mr Mohan Mani Jatwar of the Congress.

The Khairagarh bypoll was necessitated following the resignation of Congress MLA Devavrat Singh, Ms Padma's husband, subsequent to his election to the Lok Sabha in a byelection from Rajnandgaon.

Malkharoda fell vacant after the High Court disqualified sitting BSP legislator Khunte on a poll petition.

Counting is scheduled for June 5.

UNI