Chhattisgarh bypoll: Counting for Antagarh seat begins

RAIPUR: Counting of votes began today in the insurgency-affected Antagarh assembly constituency in Chhattisgarh where by-election was held on September 13.

The counting started from 8 AM at Bhanupratap Dev PG College in Kanker district headquarters amid tight security, an election official said.

The process will be completed in 15 rounds. Videography of the counting of votes is also being done, he said.

Voter turnout of 58.73 per cent was recorded in the Antagarh assembly constituency bypoll with only two candidates in the fray including one of BJP which held the seat.

Fourteen candidates had filed their nominations and after scrutiny and withdrawal of nominations, only two candidates - Bhojraj Naag from BJP and Rupdhar Pudo of Ambedkarite Party of India- remained in the contest.

The by-election in the seat was necessitated after BJP legislator Vikram Usendi was elected to the Lok Sabha from Kanker seat.

Voting on this seat was held along with by-election to 32 other seats in nine states, where BJP lost 13 out of the 23 seats held by it in resultrs declared on September 16.

The Congress, which has been struggling after facing a humiliating defeat in both Assembly and Lok Sabha elections in Chhattisgarh, had declared Manturam Pawar as its candidate from the seat anticipating a good show.

However, Pawar surprisingly pulled out from the contest before the last day of withdrawal of nominations on August 29 following which he was expelled from the party.