51.2 pc polling in MP till 5 pm; booth capturing at 2 places

A total of 51.2 per cent voters have exercised their franchise till 5 pm for 10 Lok Sabha seats during the second phase of polling in Madhya Pradesh today amid reports of booth capturing at Pithua and Bakehana in Sagar Lok Sabha seat.
Of those who turned up so far, 58.4 per cent voters are men and 42.8 per cent are women.
Guna recorded the highest turnout at 61.1 per cent so far, followed by Sagar at 59.1 per cent and Rajgarh at 58.95 per cent. The state capital recorded a turnout of 58.42 per cent.
The Election Commission is awaiting the district electoral officer's report for further action on the booth capturing incident.

Poll boycott is going on in Datia district's polling booth number 99 and also in Bhind district's Kacharia village due to development-related issues.
The polling per cent till 5 pm is: Morena (51.69 pc), Bhind (41.99 pc), Gwalior (44.53 pc), Tikamgarh (50.66 pc), Damoh (43.62 pc), and Khajuraho (42.69 pc).

Meanwhile, a 49-year-old man identified as Prahald Kushwaha (49), a resident of Budramunj in Joura Assembly segment under Morena Lok Sabha seat, died after he was struck by lightning.
"However, polling remained unaffected," the Chief Electoral Officer Jaideep Govind told reporters.
Earlier, reports of stone pelting were received from Bhind's Moroli polling centre following a poll-related dispute. However, the district administration there immediately brought the situation under control and restored normalcy.

In Rajgarh, polling agents clashed over a trivial matter but police pacified them and brought the situation under control.