The stage is set for voting in Madhya Pradesh Garoth Assembly constituency where a 2,18,887 strong electorate including 1,06,201 members of the fairer sex and one voter of the third gender is expected to exercise franchise between 8 am and 5 pm at 263 polling stations on Saturday to determine the fortunes of eight candidates.
The bypoll was necessitated by the demise of sitting BJP legislator Rajesh Yadav. Elaborate security arrangements have been made to ensure free and fair polling during the bypoll.
Besides, 1,200 personnel have been deployed for conducting the bypoll. Counting will take place on June 30.For the first time in Madhya Pradesh's electoral history, the electoral list contains the name of one voter from the third gender.
This is the first bypoll in the State after the Supreme Court had recently directed to provide an alternative for third gender in the electoral list. In the by-election, the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Congress are in strong confrontation although six other candidates are also in the fray.
Taking no chances, the Congress reposed faith in former minister Subhash Kumar Sojatia, who successfully contested from the seat four times - in 1985, 1993, 1998 and 2008. He had lost to Yadav in 2003 and 2013. On the other hand, the BJP fielded a fresh candidate in Chandar Singh Sisodia, who faces the challenge to tide over the image of being a 'weak' candidate. Buoyed by the win of its candidate Saurabh Singh in Katni District's Bahoriband by-election over BJP nominee Pranay Pandey, the Congress is going out with all guns blazing to wrest the seat from the BJP.