68 per cent turnout in first phase of MP local body polls

Nearly 70 per cent electorate voted in the first phase of local body elections in Madhya Pradesh today, amid reports of minor violence in some areas of the state.
According to the State Election Office, over 68 per cent voters caste their votes in first phase of the polls. The poll per cent is expected to go up further as the process of collecting final figures is still on.
Under the first phase, polling was held for 135 municipal bodies in the state. The second phase of polling for rest of the local bodies would be held on December 2.

The election office said that reports of electronic voting machines not working at a few places were received at during the beginning of polling, but these were rectified soon.
In Bhind district, unidentified miscreants opened fire at two places but nobody was injured in the incident, the official said.
Union minister Narendra Singh Tomar, Madhya Pradesh ministers Maya Singh, Narottam Mishra and Rajendra Shukla were among others who exercised their franchise at their respective places.
Counting for the first phase of polling would be held on December 4 while for the second round, it would be held on December 6, the official said.