MP: 47 per cent voter turnout in re-polling at booth in Ater assembly seat

Bhind/Bhopal, Nov 21 (PTI) A low voter turnout of 47.1 per cent was recorded in re-polling at a booth in the Ater assembly constituency of Madhya Pradesh's Bhind district on Tuesday, an official said.

Voting in the booth number 3 under polling centre No. 71 in Kishupura began at 7 am and ended at 6 pm, and was peaceful, the official said.

Out of the total 1,223 registered voters, 577 electors (47.1 per cent) exercised their franchise during the re-polling, which was videographed, he added.

The Election Commission of India (ECI) ordered re-polling because of 'breach of secrecy' as some people shot videos of voting at the booth concerned in Kishupura during the elections on November 17.

Four members of the polling party on duty at the booth were suspended for the breach of secrecy, Bhind collector and district returning officer Sanjeev Shrivastava earlier said.

Voters were not allowed to enter the booth with mobile phones and all rules related to the model code of conduct were followed scrupulously, another official said.

State BJP minister and Ater's sitting MLA Arvind Singh Bhadauria is pitted against former legislator Hemant Katare of the Congress in the assembly seat.

All 230 assembly seats in Madhya Pradesh went to polls in a single phase on November 17 and a voter turnout of 77.15 per cent -- 1.52 per cent higher than the 2018 figure -- was recorded, as per the Election Commission.

Votes will be counted on December 3. PTI COR MAS GK RSY