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As temperature soared, turnout reduced to moderate in the first phase of Lok Sabha elections.
Resentment over non-payment of compensation against crop losses due to recent hailstorms, and wages under National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS) also restricted voters, as electoral officers recorded only 56% turnout in the first phase.
By 1845 hrs, the state has reported a total of 56.67% voting in all nine constituencies. Of them 58.70% were male voters and 54.45% were female. According to data, the polling percentage was 53.93% in these nine constituencies during 2009 elections. Chhindwara constituency from where Union Minister Kamal Nath is contesting for tenth time reported 70% voting while the highest Naxal-affected area of Balaghat reported 61.10% voting.
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The first phase covered nine Lok Sabha constituencies of the state namely Satna, Rewa, Sidhi, Shahdol, Jabalpur, Mandla, Balaghat, Chhindwara and Hoshangabad. Jabalpur reported the lowest voting percentage of 48.14% while Chhindwara reported the highest at 70.93% percent. Union Minister Kamal Nath is contesting the seat for setting a record to claim it for tenth time. Also former leader of opposition Ajay Singh is contesting Satna seat, though he wanted to contest from his home turf Sidhi seat. He and his father Late Arjun Singh, who was the chief minister of state, contested Churhat assembly seat of Sidhi several times.
Though polling has been reported peaceful across the state, as many as 18 polling booths reported replacement of EVMs. “Election officers replaced EVMs at two polling stations each in Satna, Rewa, Mandla, Chhindwara and Hoshangabad constituencies. While three polling stations in Shahdol and one in Jabalpur reported technical problem and hence EVMs were replaced at these polling stations,” he said, “in rest of the state polling was peaceful and voters were exercising their franchise.”
However few places of Madhya Pradesh reported boycott of polling on non-payment of compensation against crop losses during torrential rains and hailstorm.
Enraged over non-distribution of compensation against crop losses, farmers in Mandla boycotted polling but later polling resumed. Chhindwara and its two villages Tamia and Chawalpani also reported boycott but the chief electoral officer Jaideep Govind said, “Polling is going on peacefully at these places.”
The Churhat in Sidhi Lok Sabha constituency also reported boycott as labourers were demanding wages under NREGS. Similarly Singrauli district also reported reluctant voters on issues pertaining to non-availability of power, road and water. Jabalpur and Katni districts also reported boycott and reluctant voters but later administrative machinery convinced them to vote, said the chief electoral officer.
