Madhya Pradesh by-polls: BJP leads in Shahdol, Nepanagar

The counting of votes in Madhya Pradesh`s Shahdol parliamentary constituency and Nepanagar assembly constituency began amid tight security on Tuesday morning, an official said.

Bhopal: The Bharatiya Janata Party was on Tuesday leading the Congress in Shahdol and Nepanagar constituencies as the counting of votes cast in the November 19 Madhya Pradesh assembly by-polls began on Tuesday.

According to an official of the State Election Commissioner`s office, BJP candidate Gyan Singh was leading Congress`s Himandri Singh by 12,800 votes.

In Nepanagar, BJP candidate Manju Dadu was leading the Congress` Antar Singh by 9,000 votes, said Burhanpur District Magistrate Deepak Singh.

The counting for the Shahdol seat was being carried out at four district headquarters, while the Nepanagar counting was at Burhanpur district headquarter, said the Chief Election Commissioner`s office.

For the Shahdol seat Congress` Himadri Singh and BJP`s Gyan Singh were putting up a close fight. There are 17 candidates vying for this seat that fell vacant when BJP MP Dalpat Singh Paraste passed away in June.

Even the Nepanagar seat is being fought between BJP`s Manju Dadu and Congress` Antar Singh. There are only four candidates from this seat.

High security arrangements were in place for the counting of votes. The counting began at 8 a.m. on Tuesday.

Around 66 per cent people voted in the by-polls in Shahdol constituency while the turnout in Nepanagar was about 73 per cent.