About 46 per cent voters turnout in UP Assembly bypoll

Lucknow, Nov 15 (UNI) About 46 per cent of voters today exercised their franchise in the peaceful bypoll to Hardoi Assembly seat in Uttar Pradesh today.

The polling was totally 'incident-free' and 'complaint-free,' passing off in a smooth manner, Anuj Kumar Bishnoi, UP Chief Electoral Officer told UNI. The state government, though, had made elaborate security arrangements to ensure fair and free poll.

Counting of votes for the Assembly seat would take place on November 18.

The bypoll to this seat was necessiated after former UP minister Naresh Agarwal, the then Samajwadi Party member in the State Assembly, resigned to join the ruling Bahujan Samaj Party.

Incidentally, Nitin Agarwal, son of Naresh Agarwal, is the BSP candidate from Hardoi seat, which has been a stronghold of the family in the last many elections.

Chief Minister Mayawati, SP president Mulayam Singh Yadav, SP general secretary Amar Singh and party MP Jaya Prada were among the prominent leaders, who campaigned for the by-election.

A total of 12 candidates were in the fray. The SP had fielded Sukhsagar Mishra, while the BJP had decided not to field any candidate.

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