Over 50 per cent voting for Khadia assembly by-polls

Ahmedabad, Feb 14 (PTI) Voting for the Khadia assemblyby-elections passed off peacefully today with around 50-55 percent voters exercising their franchise.

Election officer Himanshu Parikh said that there wasnot a single complaint of failure or malfunction of theelectronic voting machine (EVM) from any of the booths.

Both the Congress and the BJP members have lodgedcomplaints against each others for mobilising voters andindulging in bogus voting.

Earlier, the Congress had also complained against BJPcandidate Bhushan Bhatt for not declaring criminal casesagainst him.

Khadia constituency located in the heart of the cityis considered BJP strong hold as it was held for last eightterms by late veteran BJP leader Ashok Bhatt who was also thestate Assembly speaker. Bhatt died mid-term on September 29,last year, following which the by-poll were announced.

BJP has fielded Ashok Bhatt''s son Bhushan, while theCongress has given ticket to the youth leader and localbusinessman Jagat Shukla.

Though the Khadia seat has been held by the BJP formore than 25 years, the fight is expected to be keen this timedue to change in the demographic profile of the constituencywith many supposedly BJP voters having shifted to other partsof the city.