West Bengal’s Sabang, Arunachal Pradesh’s Pakke-Kessang and Likabali and Uttar Pradesh’s Sikandara held bye-polls on Thursday.
At 3 pm, Sabang recorded a voter turnout of 74.89%, The Quint reported.
In Sikandara, 53% polling was recorded till 5 pm, Joint Chief Electoral Officer Ramesh Chandra Rai said. Pakke-Kessang in Arunachal Pradesh recorded 86% polling, and the Likabali constituency saw a 51% turnout, Joint Chief Electoral officer DJ Bhattacharjee said, according to PTI.
Electoral voting machines and voter-verified paper audit trail were used for the first time in Arunachal Pradesh. State police, Indo-Tibetan Border Police, four companies of Central paramilitary forces were deployed to ensure a smooth voting process in the state. Central Reserve Police Force and Indian Reserve Battalion personnel were also at booths considered to be under threat, Joint Chief Electoral Officer D J Bhattacharjee said.
The votes will be counted on December 24 in Arunachal Pradesh. Former Deputy Chief Minister Kameng Dolo is contesting the Pakke-Kessang seat on a Congress ticket against BJP candidate BR Waghe.
In Likabali, the race is multi-pronged with Bharatiya Janata Party candidate Kardo Nyigyor, Congress nominee Modam Dini, People’s Party of Arunachal Gumke Riba and independent candidate Sengo Taipodia in the fray.
In West Bengal’s Sabang, Trinamool Congress candidate Gita Rani Bhunia will vie for the seat that fell vacant after her husband and former Congress MLA Manas Ranjan Bhunia was elected to Rajya Sabha on a TMC ticket. The BJP has nominated Antara Bhattacharya while the Congress has selected Chiranjib Bhowmick and the Communist Party of India (Marxist) has picked Rita Mandal to represent them in the election. This bye-poll is a test for former Trinamool Congress leader Mukul Roy, who changed loyalties to the BJP in November, according to poll analysts.
Uttar Pradesh’s Sikandara also went to polls as the seat fell vacant after BJP MLA Mathura Prasad Pal succumbed to an illness on July 22. Twelve candidates, including the BJP’s Ajit Pal Singh, Samajwadi Party’s Seema Sachan and Congress candidate Prabhakar, are contesting.
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