The by-election for the Phulpur Assembly constituency witnessed a lukewarm response from voters on Wednesday, with only 43.43% turnout recorded by the close of polling.
Voting commenced at 7 AM across most booths, with a total of twelve candidates vying for the seat and over 4,07,000 eligible voters.
The voting process was largely smooth, barring a few isolated incidents of technical glitches.
At Naika Primary School, polling began slightly late, around 7:15 AM, but no major disruptions reported.
DCP Abhishek Bharti visited polling booths in Jhunsi to assess security and interacted with voters to ensure smooth operations.
Despite the tight security measures, enthusiasm among voters remained notably subdued, with minimal queues observed at polling stations throughout the day.
In Jhunsi, slow servers delayed the issuance of voter slips, leaving many voters frustrated. People could be seen near party camps struggling to obtain their slips.
By 9 AM, several booths, including those at Jhunsi Kohna, remained relatively quiet, with only sporadic voter activity.
The pink booth at Kendriya Vidyalaya Ghiyanagar recorded an exceptionally low turnout of 23.68%, significantly lower than the 30% turnout in the previous election.
Only 468 of 1,977 registered voters cast their ballots.
Technical issues further compounded delays, as an Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) malfunctioned at Basmahua village, disrupting voting for an hour. Officials resolved the issue and repaired the machine, allowing polling to resume.
The political stronghold of MP Praveen Patel in Andawa saw disappointing participation. Despite a total of 3,199 registered voters across three booths, only around 700 had voted by 3 PM., highlighting voter apathy.
Meanwhile, some voters stood out for their commitment to civic duty.
In Jhunsi, young men and women ensured they cast their votes before participating in wedding rituals.
In one instance, a bride and groom, amid their pre-wedding celebrations, arrived at their polling station to exercise their franchise.
Despite intense campaigns by the BJP, SP, and BSP, the turnout shocked political observers.
At several booths, including Chhatnag, only BJP and SP camps were visible, while BSP supporters were notably absent.
Polling stations in Babuganj and Kanoja Kala reported modest participation, with turnout percentages ranging from 23.68% to 51.9%.
The fate of the twelve candidates is now sealed in the EVMs. The results will be declared on 23 November, when the counting of votes is scheduled.
This lackluster voter turnout in the Phulpur by-election underscores the growing challenge of voter engagement, even as political parties pull out all the stops to secure their strongholds.
Also Read: Punjab Witnesses Intense Battle As Voting Begins For Key Assembly Bypolls
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