Bhopal : Polling for by-elections in two assembly seats- Budhni in Sehore district and Vijaypur seat in Sheopur district, in Madhya Pradesh is underway peacefully and turnout at these constituencies has been recorded at 65.08 per cent and 67.01 per cent respectively till 3 pm, according to Election Commission data. Voter turnout in Budhni was recorded 51.16 pc at 1 pm and in Vijaypur it stood at 54.86 per cent. Voting is picking up pace in the two constituencies.
Budhni assembly seat is bastion of senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and it got vacant as he was elected as Member of Parliament (MP) from Vidisha constituency in the recently concluded general election 2024. Ramakant Bhargava is contesting on the BJP symbol in Budhni while the Congress has fielded Rajkumar Patel from the seat.
Vijaypur assembly seat in Sheopur district fell vacant after Ramniwas Rawat, who was sitting Congress MLA from the seat, resigned from the party and joined the BJP. Rawat is contesting for the by-election on the symbol of BJP while the Congress has fielded Mukesh Malhotra from the seat. Rawat is the Forest and Environment Minister in the cabinet of Chief Minister Mohan Yadav.
Rawat exercised his franchise at the Government Higher Secondary School, Sunwai and urged people to vote in large numbers. "My priorities are to provide irrigation facilities, healthcare facilities and employment opportunities. I urge voters to exercise their franchise," Rawat told news agency.
Chief Minister Mohan Yadav also appealed to voters to exercise their franchise in the state as well as wherever elections are being held across the country on Wednesday.
"Wherever elections are being held in Madhya Pradesh and the country, I would like to appeal to all that people must use their right to vote. The right to vote is the biggest strength of democracy. By-elections are going on in both Vijaypur and Budhni assembly seats in Madhya Pradesh," CM Yadav told ANI. Polling in Vijaypur and Budhni will conclude at 6 pm. Votes will be counted on November 23.