Moderate to high voter turnout was recorded on Sunday in the bypolls for two assembly seats in Madhya Pradesh where BJP and Congress workers clashed in a couple of places in Ater constituency of Bhind district.
In Ater, the final voter turnout stood at 58.90 per cent, while in Bandhavgarh the figure was at 67.16 per cent, an Election Commission (EC) official said.
Some incidents of violence were reported from Ater seat with both the BJP and the Congress levelling allegations of booth capturing against each other. Chief Electoral Officer of Madhya Pradesh Salina Singh, however, denied that booths were captured.
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While Congress had represented Atar in Madhya Pradesh Asssembly, BJP was fighting to retain Bandhvagarh. The bypoll is a fight for prestige for the two parties in the state, where assembly elections are due next year. The BJP has defeated Congress in three successive Assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh since 2003.
Following reports of violence, the EC deployed two more Special Armed Forces (SAF) companies (nearly 200 personnel) for Ater.
The Congress alleged that BJP workers attacked its candidate Hemant Katare at Sankri village booth and gunshots were fired at him.
Another incident of firing was reported near booth number 172 (Goarkala), in which shots were fired between BJP and Congress workers.
"The firing incidents were reported from two places. The security personnel fired in the air at Sankri village booth to avoid a clash between the BJP and Congress workers.
"Another incident of firing took place one kilometre away from the booth number 172," CEO Salina Singh told reporters.
Singh said the Congress candidate stayed for a long time inside the booth, which led to confrontation between the polling agents of both the Congress and the BJP.
"Police had to fire in air to control the situation. Some vehicles were also damaged in this clash," she added.
She denied incidents of any booth capturing in Ater and Bandhavgarh.
"There was no booth capturing incident reported from Ater and Bandhavgarh. All the booths in Ater were declared sensitive. After these incidents, we have called two additional SAF companies from Morena to strengthen the security arrangements," she added.
On the other hand, Congress maintained that booth capturing was carried out in Ater on a large scale.
In a memorandum submitted to the Chief Electoral Officer this evening, Congress demanded the re- election at 41 places.
"We have also demanded the EC to order high level inquiry into the attack on Congress candidate by the BJP workers. The attackers even snatched the gun of a security personnel deployed at the booth in Sankri," MP Congress Chief Arun Yadav told reporters before submitting the memorandum.
Yadav alleged that BJP workers created panic to capture the booths.
"We have informed the EC officials some days back about the plans of ruling BJP in state. But, no action was taken. Even, polling process at some booths was not videographed. Our polling booth agents were also arrested," he added.
On the other hand, a delegation of BJP leaders headed by party's state chief Nandkumar Singh Chouhan also submitted a memorandum to the Election Commission in New Delhi this afternoon, state BJP's media incharge Lokendra Parashar said.
Parashar said that another BJP delegation submitted a memorandum to the state election officer in Bhopal.
In the memorandum, BJP leaders demanded re-polling at 35 booths and accused the EC's observers were favouring Congress.
BJP leaders pointed out that a list of criminals was also submitted to the EC's observers but no action was taken. They also took objection to transfer of 19 officials after Congress levelled allegations against them.
In Ater, Congress fielded Hemant Katare, son of former Leader of Opposition Satyadev Katare, whose death necessitated the by-poll.
From BJP, former MLA Arvind Singh Bhadoria is contesting the byelection. The by-election in Bandhavgarh seat was necessitated after its MLA Gyan Singh was elected to the Lok Sabha in November last year.
The main contest in Bandhavgarh (ST) seat is between BJP's Shivnarayan Singh, son of Gyan Singh, and Savitri Singh of Congress.
The counting of votes will take place on April 13.
