Over 70 per cent polling was recorded in four lok Sabha constituencies in the state this year, with Union Minister Kamal Nath's traditional Chhindwara seat registering the highest at 79.05 per cent, officials today said.
Madhya Pradesh has total of 29 lok Sabha constituencies and polling was held in three phases on April 10, 17 and 24. The overall turnout of voters in the state this time was 61.57 per cent, up by 10.4 per cent from 51.17 per cent in 2009, the election office sources said.
The four lok Sabha seats where turnout was above 70 per cent (along with the 2009 percentage) are Chhindwara 79.05% (71.94%), Mandsaur 71.24% (55.82%), Khandwa 70.93% (60.40%) and Dewas 70.72% (60.63%).
While Rahul Gandhi's confidante Meenakshi Natarajan contested from Mandsaur, state Congress chief Arun Yadav and Sajjan Singh Verma fought from Khandwa and Dewas seats, respectively.
The 14 lok Sabha seats, where polling was between 60 and 70% are Balaghat 68.10% (55.16%), Khargone 67.07% (67.38%), Mandla 66.68% (55.97%), Ujjain 66.56% (53.26%),Betul 66.48% (49.51%), Hoshangabad 65.76% (54.63%), Vidisha 65.63% (42.95%), Rajgarh 63.99% (51.45%), Dhar 63.96% (54.45%), Ratlam 63.52% (50.79%), Satna 62.68% (54.65%), Indore 62.25% (50.84%), Shahdol 62.20% (49.75%) and Guna 60.72% (54.19%).
In ten constituencies, it was between 50 and 60% while in Bhind it was even less than 50%, poll officials said. The polling percentage in Bhind lok Sabha seat was the lowest at just 45.63%. The BJP had fielded Dr Bhagirath Prasad, who left the Congress just a day after getting Congress nomination from the same seat. The Congress later fielded Imarti Devi from there.
In nine of the 29 lok Sabha constituencies, over 70 per cent of males cast their votes, including the highest of 81.08 per cent in Chhindwara, followed by Dewas 77.56%, Mandsaur 76.19%, Khandwa 73.68%, Rajgarh 72.36%, Ujjain 72.18%, Vidisha 71.17%, Hoshangabad 71.11% and Khargone 70.16%.
More than 60 per cent women turned up for polling in 12 lok Sabha constituencies in the state with highest recorded in Chhindwara at 76.89%, followed by Khandwa 68.17%, Balaghat 67.08%, Mandsaur 65.98%, Mandla 64.1%, Khargone 63.9%, Dewas 63.27%, Betul 61.46%, Ratlam 60.82%, Ujjain 60.5%, Satna 60.28% and Dhar 60.02%.