Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Vijaypur and Budhni bypolls were held amid allegations of booth capturing and sporadic incidents of brawl on Wednesday. Till 5pm, Vijaypur’s polling percentage stood at 77.85% and Budhni’s at 77.63%.
Vijaypur was on the boil as the BJP and the Congress workers came face-to-face. On being informed state presidents of both parties VD Sharma and Jitu Patwari respectively rushed to the constituency. However, their cavalcades were stopped at constituency’s borders. Both later squatted on road in protest.
While Sharma accused Election Commission of working under Congress pressure, Patwari claimed that democracy was in its last leg in state.

Both candidates taken into custody in Vijaypur
In wake of tension between supporters of BJP and Congress candidates, Sheopur administration took BJP candidate Ramniwas Rawat and Congress candidate Mukesh Malhotra under custody. Rawat was housed at Vijaypur rest house while Malhotra was kept at Veerpur.

Controversies
In Vijaypur, voters of Telipura polling booth blocked Sheopur-Morena road alleging bogus voting by Rawat community. They also claimed that tribals were being stopped from voting. In Andhipura village, people accused BJP workers of hampering voting process. In Khadigaon, voters alleged booth capturing bid. Brawls were reported at isolated places in Vijaypur.

Sources claimed that BLO Kalyan Adivasi left booth number 326 after misbehavior by Congress workers. BJP workers also claimed bogus voting by Congress workers at many places.

In Doi village of Vijaypur assembly constituency, around 50 to 60 people attacked Sector Officer Yatender Chari who had gone to check complaint of bogus voting. The attackers were from Rawat community.
In Budhni, BJP workers alleged stone-pelting by Congress candidate Rajkumar Patel’s supporters. Patel, who is pitted against BJP’s Ramkanth Bhargava, however, accused BJP workers of thrashing his supporters. The party also claimed that three vehicles of its supporters were also damaged.
At booth number 54 of Shahganj, Congress workers were thrashed for opposing entry of people in polling station without ID card.

BLO dies on poll duty in Budhni

A Booth Level Officer (BLO) Narayan Singh Nagar died during election duty in Budhni assembly bypoll on Wednesday. He felt uneasiness and was rushed to hospital but attending doctors declared him dead. He was deployed at High School Murrah. The attending doctors said that he died after cardiac arrest.