Thanks to tremendous amount of voting awareness generated across the country through social, print and electronic media, Indore lok Sabha constituency witnessed a record polling with over 60 per cent of the electorates casting their votes till 6 pm on Thursday.
However, voting percentage for Indore lok Sabha seat may change after receiving final polling reports from all eight assembly constituencies which come under the jurisdiction of Indore lok Sabha seat. In the previous lok Sabha elections, only 50.84 per cent of polling had been recorded for Indore parliamentary seat.
Indore is among 10 lok Sabha constituencies in Madhya Pradesh which went to the polls. Out of the 10 parliamentary seats, polling was held in all eight lok Sabha seats of Malwa-Nimar region. In the previous lok Sabha elections in 2009, the BJP had emerged victorious only from 4 seats out of eight parliamentary seats in Malwa-Nimar region.
However, in the current elections, the BJP under a powerful Modi wave blowing across the country appears quite confident to establish its way in all eight parliamentary seats in the region.
In Indore, a large number of young and first time voters were seen thronging to polling booths along with their parents. The exuberance of exercising their voting rights for the first time was quite palpable on the faces of the young boys and girls and after casting their votes they proudly raised their fingers with ink marks before the media persons at many polling booths.
In terms of polling percentage, only Mandsaur and Khargone lok Sabha seats recorded higher polling with 65.7% and 65% as compared to Indore among all eight parliamentary constituencies in Malwa and Nimar regions.
Amid tight security arrangement, polling for Indore lok Sabha seat by and large remained peaceful with no untoward incident being reported from any part of the constituencies, though reports of snags in the electronic voting machines (EVMs) did come from some polling booths. Snags in the electronic voting machines at some polling booths came to the fore during the mock polling exercise by the district administration at 6.30 am. Out of a total of 2,206 polling booths in the constituency, though majority of EVMs cleared the mock polling drill, at some polling booths, EVMs did not respond to mock polling. As a result of this the election officials had to replace the EVMs, leading to a slight delay in polling at these booths.
At some polling booths lack of proper arrangements like tents to save voters from the scorching heats, did come to the fore causing inconveniences to the voters.
But these minor aberrations apart, and the heat, the voters in both urban and rural pockets of the constituencies came out of their houses in large numbers to cast their votes for their candidates. However, as compared to morning and evening hours, polling percentage did witness a decline during the mid-day on account of hot weather conditions.
Among the important dignitaries who cast their votes for Indore lok Sabha seat today included state urban development minister Kailash Vijayverigya, his wife Asha Vijayverigya, BJP MlAs Ramesh Mendola, Mhendra Hardia, Usha Thakur, Malini Gaud, Manoj Patel and Rajesh Sonkar, Congress MlA Jeetu Patwari, Indore Mayor Krishna Murari Moghe, Sonkutch Congress MP Sajjan Singh Verma.
Vijayvargiya along wth his family members including his wife Asha Vijayvargiya, son Akash Vijayvargiya, daughter-in-law Sonam Vijayvargiya and the local BJP MlA Ramesh Mendola arrived at his polling booth at Government Higher Secondary School in Nanda Nagar at 9.30 am and cast votes.
On account of change in polling booth (No 222) in Pipliyahana locality, voters in this area boycotted the polling. Though voters of the locality had apprised of their complaint with the district administration about shifting of their polling booth, the district administration had paid no heed to their complaint. In protest against the district administration's apathy to restore their place of their polling booth, voters of the areas boycotted the polling.
A total of 22 candidates are in the electoral fray for Indore lok Sabha seat. However, the main fight is between the seven-time MP of the BJP Sumitra Mahajan and Satyanarayan Patel of the Congress party. In the current election, Mahajan amid Modi wave blowing across the country appears to be in a quite comfortable position notwithstanding anti-incumbency factor weighing heavily against her.
Talking to media persons after casting her votes at PWD office in Palasia, Mahajan who is seeking her election to the august Parliament for the eighth consecutive time, said that amid a clear Modi wave, even the Congress heavyweights will bite the dust as in the past 10 years the Congress party has hardly done anything which will prompt the voters to vote for it.
On the other hand, Congress candidate Satyanarayan Patel who is the electoral fray for the second consecutive time, while casting his vote at Bicholi Mardana polling booth, claimed that voters in the current election would give a thumbs down to the BJP candidate because of sheer non-performance.