Voters turn out in large numbers for bypolls in 5 states

NEW DELHI: A record turnout of voters marked the bypoll to R K Nagar Assembly constituency in Tamil Nadu, from where Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa is seeking re-election after her acquittal in a graft case, while high voting was recorded in five other assembly bypolls spread across as many states.

R K Nagar and Aruvikkara in Kerala, where ruling Congress- led UDF and Opposition CPI(M)-headed LDF are locked in a close contest, registered an identical turnout of 74.4 per cent.

The voter turn out was over 80 per cent in Pratapgarh and Surma seats in Tripura and Chokpot (Meghalaya) while Garoth in Madhya Pradesh saw a turnout of 71.24 per cent. Counting of votes will be held on June 30. One of the smallest constituencies in Tamil Nadu, R K Nagar in Chennai city had witnessed 72.72 per cent voting in the 2011 Assembly elections.

CPI, AIADMK's main rival in this bypoll, alleged booth- capturing. The party's candidate C Mahendran said a complaint had been filed with election authorities alleging that some of the booths were captured by AIADMK men.

Besides Jayalalithaa and Mahendran, 26 others, including maverick social activist 'Traffic' Ramaswamy alias K R Ramaswamy. Main opposition parties DMK, DMDK, Congress, BJP and PMK have boycotted the bypoll.

The by-election was necessitated by AIADMK's P Vetrivel vacating the seat in May to enable Jayalalithaa seek re-election post her acquittal by the Karnataka High Court.

In Kerala, voters braved heavy rains to turn out in large numbers for the bypoll in Aruvikkara. During the 2011 assembly elections, the polling percentage in the seat was 70.61. The bypoll was necessitated following the death of former Speaker G Karthikeyan who represented the segment (previously known as Aryanad) in the state assembly from 1991-2015.

In a three-cornered contest, UDF candidate K S Sabarinath, younger son of Karthikeyan, is taking on former Speaker and ex-minister M Vijaykumar (LDF) and former union minister, O Rajagopal fielded by BJP. The bypoll is a litmus test for both the Fronts as panchayat polls are to be held later this year and assembly elections are just a year away.

Chief Minister Oommen Chandy has said the poll outcome would be a referendum on the government's performance during the past four years while the Opposition was confident that the electorate would deal a heavy blow to the ruling Front which was facing various allegations.