The nation’s attention is fixed currently on the second phase of Bihar elections while the bypolls were organized for Rajya Sabha and for other assembly seats across 11 states including MP. Bye-elections to 56 assembly seats in 11 states saw a healthy voter turnout despite the Covid-19, with reports of violence coming from two places in Madhya Pradesh. There were also allegations of “fake voting” emanating from Uttar Pradesh. These elections are politically significant for both the ruling BJP as well as the Opposition parties. These are being seen by many sections of observers as a litmus test for public approval of the record of the current government in its second term.

There was an estimated 66.28 per cent voter turnout as was recorded till 6 pm on November 3, Tuesday in the crucial bypolls to 28 assembly seats in Madhya Pradesh. There were reports of violence at a few places in the state as per an official. One person was injured in a stray incident of violence in the state, police said. Average voting percentage in the 2018 assembly polls in these 28 constituencies, most of them (16) in the Gwalior-Chambal region, was 72.93, the official told PTI.

In the Uttar Pradesh assembly byelections, Voters’ turnout for seven seats crossed 51 per cent at 5 pm on Tuesday, an hour before the slated end of polling. The polling for the seven seats with 88 candidates in the fray, which began at 7 am amid tight security and adherence to anti-COVID precautions, picked up momentum as the day progressed. The Election Commission said that the voters’ turnout went up to 51.22 per cent by 5 pm from just 18.49 per cent at 11 am.

In Gujarat’s Karjan Assembly Constituency in Vadodara, the Returning Officer has set up an inquiry after Congress candidate Kiritsinh Jadeja accused rival Bhartiya Janta Party candidate Akshay Patel of distributing cash for votes. The complaint, filed by Jadeja’s election agent Upendrasingh Rana, includes two videos purportedly showing ‘BJP workers’ distributing cash to voters ahead of the polling.

In other states, Nagaland recorded an 82.33 per cent voter turnout. The poll percentage was 41.05 per cent in Uttar Pradesh, 41.86 per cent in Karnataka, 55.04 per cent in Odisha, 71.10 per cent in Telangana till 5 pm, 57.55 per cent  in Jharkhand,  46.23 per cent in Haryana, 51.29 per cent in Gujarat,  and 59.05 per cent in Chhattisgarh.

Extensive arrangements had also been made due to the Covid-19 pandemic, including personal protective equipment (PPE) kits for election staff, more polling booths, thermal screening, sanitizers, masks and gloves for voters and markings to ensure social distancing. The results for the bypolls will be declared on November 10.

The author is a student member of Amity Centre of Happiness.