Re-polling in four booths of Madhya Pradesh's Betul Lok Sabha constituency, necessitated by EVM damage in a fire during the May 7 voting, witnessed a robust turnout, with nearly 72% of eligible voters casting their ballots by 5 pm, according to officials.
The voting commenced at 7 am and was scheduled to conclude at 6 pm. However, as of the latest update, the turnout figure stood at 71.81%, with the final tally anticipated by 8 pm pending the return of polling parties.
The Election Commission mandated the re-polling following the damage to a few electronic voting machines (EVMs) when a bus transporting them and polling personnel caught fire near Sonora Gaula village in Betul district on Tuesday night.
Re-polling occurred at booths located in Government Integrated High School, Rajapur, Government Integrated High School, Raiyat, Government Primary School Kunda, Raiyat, and Government Integrated High School, Chikhlimal. These centers fall within the Multai assembly segment of the Betul parliamentary constituency (ST reserved).
The affected areas observed a dry day and holiday to facilitate the re-polling process.
Earlier, on May 7, the Betul Lok Sabha seat recorded an estimated 72.65% voter turnout during the general elections' third phase.
Betul, one of the nine constituencies in Madhya Pradesh that went to polls during that phase, has been a stronghold for the BJP since 1996.
The main contest in Betul is between incumbent BJP MP Durgadas Uikey and Congress candidate Ramu Tekam, among a total of eight contenders.
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