Bypolls: Around 35% polling recorded till 1 pm

A voter turnout of around 35 per cent was recorded till 1 pm in the bypolls to 15 assembly seats spread across Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Kerala, and Uttarakhand on Wednesday amid stray incidents of violence and complaints of irregularities against police officials.

Poll officials said over 31 per cent voters exercises their franchise by 1 pm in Uttar Pradesh.

The EC update showed the following voter turnout: Ghaziabad (20.92 per cent), Katehari (24.28 per cent), Khair (28.80 per cent), Kundarki (41.01 per cent), Karhal (32.29 per cent), Majhawan (31.68 per cent), Meerapur (36.77 per cent), Phulpur (26.67 per cent), Sisamau (28.50 per cent).

In neighbouring Uttarakhand, the Kedarnath seat saw a turnout of more than 34 per cent in the first five hours of polling. The assembly seat in Rudraprayag district fell vacant after the death of BJP MLA Shaila Rani Rawat in July this year.

In Punjab, a voter turnout of over 36 percent was recorded till 1 pm in the bypolls to four assembly segments in Punjab. Officials said Gidderbaha seat recorded 50.09 percent polling, Dera Baba Nanak 39.4 percent, Barnala 28.1 percent and Chabbewal 27.95 percent.

Bypolls to the Gidderbaha, Dera Baba Nanak, Chabbewal (SC) and Barnala assembly segments were necessitated after the incumbent lawmakers were elected to the Lok Sabha.

In Kerala, brisk polling was witnessed in the Palakkad assembly by-poll with a turnout of 40.16 per cent till 1 pm.