Madhya Pradesh bypolls: 58.75% turnout in Kolaras, 69.35% in Mungaoli till 4 pm

Voting is currently underway in two key assembly constituencies – Mungaoli and Kolaras - in Madhya Pradesh on Saturday.

Photo: PTI

Bhopal: Polling is currently underway in  Mungaoli and Kolaras - two key assembly constituencies in Madhya Pradesh where the bypoll has become a battle of prestige between the ruling BJP and the main opposition party Congress.

Here are the live updates:-

-69.35 % turnout recorded in Mungaoli and 58.75 % turnout recorded in Kolaras till 4 pm.

-44.84 % turnout in Kolaras and 47.01% in Mungawali till 1 pm, reports ANI.

-During the mock poll, 15 VVPATs in Kolaras and 17 VVPATs in Mungaoli were found to be malfunctioning which were replaced later. Voting is currently continuing smoothly at all polling stations: Saleena Singh, CEO on Kolaras and Mungaoli bypolls.

During mock poll, 15 VVPATs in Kolaras and 17 VVPATs in Mungaoli were found to be malfunctioning which were replaced later. Voting is currently continuing smoothly at all polling stations: Saleena Singh, CEO on Kolaras & Mungaoli by-election #MadhyaPradesh pic.twitter.com/V5rgFcFDm2

— ANI (@ANI) February 24, 2018

-16% voter turnout has been recorded in Kolaras and 17% in Mungaoli till 10 am, reports ANI.

-Voters face problems in Kolaras since the EVM is not working here.

I have been standing in queue for the past one hour, voting has not started since the EVM is not working: Local, Kolaras #MadhyaPradesh pic.twitter.com/O0mCat7cSz

— ANI (@ANI) February 24, 2018

-EVM at Kolaras' booth number 57 is currently not working, people wait outside to cast their votes, reports ANI.

#MadhyaPradesh: EVM at Kolaras' booth number 57 is currently not working, people wait outside to cast their votes. pic.twitter.com/okAIN5xiOO

— ANI (@ANI) February 24, 2018

-Here some visuals of the polling from MP.

#MadhyaPradesh by-polls: Voting begins in Mungaoli & Kolaras, visuals from a polling booth in Kolaras. pic.twitter.com/FpfJJoYJtn

— ANI (@ANI) February 24, 2018

-The two seats have been Congress strongholds for long, so it holds more significance for the party, which is looking to recapture power after 15 years.

-In Mungaoli, Congress candidate late Mahendra Singh Kalukhede had defeated his BJP rival Rao Deshraj Singh by nearly 21,000 votes in 2013.

-The BJP nominees are Devendra Jain from Kolaras and Baisaab Yadav from Mungaoli.

-The Congress has fielded Mahendra Singh Yadav and Brajendra Singh Yadav from Kolaras and Mungaoli seats respectively. 

-The bypolls were necessitated by the death of sitting Congress legislators.

-Both fall within the Guna Lok Sabha constituency, represented by Congress MP Jyotiraditya Scindia. 

-The bypolls in Kolaras and Mungaoli has become a prestige battle between Shivraj and Jyotiraditya.    

-There are 2.44 lakh registered voters in Kolaras, while in Mungaoli, there are 1.91 lakh eligible voters.

-In Kolaras, 22 candidates are in the fray, while in Mungaoli, 13 candidates are contesting against each other.

-The counting of votes is scheduled to take place on February 28.

-Polling will take place between 8 am and 5 pm in the two constituencies.

-Voting begins in Mungaoli and Kolaras.