Assembly By-polls 2019 updates: Polling peaceful; Pala, Badharghat register over 70% turnout

New Delhi, Sep 23: The by-poll for Hamirpur Assembly constituency in Uttar Pradesh, Dantewada in Chhattisgarh, Pala in Kerala and Badharghat in Tripura was held on Monday. The polling began at 7 AM and ended at 6 PM.

According to the office of the state chief electoral officer, the counting of votes will take place on Friday and the results will be declared on the same day.

Bye-elections at Badharghat assembly constituency in Tripura saw a voter turnout of 79.29 per cent till 5 pm, officials said. The bypoll was necessitated due to the death of sitting MLA Dilip Sarkar on April 1 this year. While both BJP and Congress said there was no major violence, CPI(M) alleged that their polling agents were thrown out of elections centres in many areas.

Kerala's Pala Assembly seat, which fell vacant after Kerala Congress (M) veteran K M Mani died in April, recorded a 71.41 percent turnout.

Around 60% polling was recorded in Maoist-affected Dantewada assembly by-poll of Chhattisgarh on Monday. In the 2018 assembly election, the constituency had recorded a voter turnout of 60.67 per cent while it was 62.03 per cent in 2013 assembly election.

"The final percentage will be updated on Tuesday but till now around 60 percent polling has been recorded in Dantewada. Polling started at 7 am and went smoothly till the deadline at 3 pm," said a poll official in Raipur adding that the final percentage could go up late in the evening.

No Maoist violence was reported during the by-poll apart from security forces recovering a 5kg IED (Improvised Explosive Device), planted by Maoist under Katekalyan police station area.

By-election voting for Hamirpur Assembly segment seat began on Monday amid tight security. 51 percent polling was recorded.