75% cast vote in MP, 73 in Mizo

Bhopal/Aizawl, Nov.

28: Madhya Pradesh on Wednesday registered a record 75 per cent voter turnout for the state Assembly polls that was marred by complaints of faulty EVMs with the BJP looking for a fourth straight term in a tough battle with a resurgent Congress which is eyeing a comeback after 15 years.

The voting figures in the one-phase polls for 230 seats, which was peaceful, was 74.61 per cent and it is likely to go up after the final tally, poll officials said.

The previous highest was in the 2013 Assembly polls when the turnout was 72.69 per cent.

Voters turned out in large numbers in three constituencies in Naxalaffected Balaghat district with the tally being 75.05 per cent in Baihar, 79.07 per cent in Lanjhi and

80.05 per cent in Paraswada, officials said.

Polling in the state was marred by complaints of faulty Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVVPAT) machines. The state Chief Electoral Officer V.L.

Kantha Rao told reporters that 1,145 EVMs and 1,545 VVPATs were replaced after complaints of technical snags. About 2.5 per cent (polling) machines were replaced, Rao said.

Meanwhile around 73 per cent votes were cast in the Mizoram assembly polls on Wednesday but the figure is expected to rise as there were long queues of voters outside polling booths to exercise their franchise, Chief Electoral Officer Ashish Kundra said.

Polling was held in all the 40 assembly seats. Kundra told reporters that the highest turnout of 81 per cent was reported at Serchhip seat, where chief minister Lal Thanhawla is one of the contestants. —PTI