Polling got underway after mock poll from 7 am in 9 constituencies for the first phase of the lok Sabha elections in the State including Satna, Rewa, Sidhi,Shahdol, Jabalpur, Mandla, Balaghat, Chhindwara and Hoshangabad.
Voters exercised their franchise enthusiastically in 70 Vidhan Sabha constituencies in 17 districts till 6 pm.long queues of voters were witnessed between 7- 11 am and after 3 pm at polling booths. Women and youths were also in the forefront of voters.A number of facilities were provided for voters in all the 16 thousand 592 polling booths in this phase.
As many as 118 candidates were in the poll fray in the 9 constituencies including maximum 16 in Balaghat and minimum 8 in Hoshangabad. Among others, 14 candidates each are in the fray in Satna, Rewa, Sidhi and Shahdol, 15 in Jabalpur and 13 in Chhindwara. These include 9 woman candidates.
In the first phase, largest lok Sabha constituency is Mandla with 2334 polling booths and 18.24 lakh voters.Chhindwara is the smallest constituency with 1,576 polling booths and 14 lakh voters.Polling booth number 154-Bargondi in 139-Pipariya Vidhan Sabha constituency is the smallest polling booth with 34 voters and polling booth number 148 in ward 57 Tripuri in Jabalpur West Vidhan Sabha constituency with 1925 voters is the largest polling booth. In this phase, 26,578 BUs and 20204 CUs are being used.
Tight security arrangements were ensured in all the constituencies.Fortification and intensive checking was being made already on inter-district and inter-State borders due to which no complaint about any irregularity came to the fore.
As many as 210 FSTs, 210 SSTs and 470 quick response teams undertook intense patrolling. Monitoring in districts bordering other states also yielded good results.As many as 97 inter-State check-posts were set up in this phase.Three kind of observers are keeping watch over the electoral process including 10 general observers, 9 election expenses observers and 2 police observers.
Webcasting is being done through 983 video cameras, 135 steel cameras and 266 web cameras.
Two complaints regarding violation of model code of conduct were received in Chhindwara Parliamentary constituency during the last 24 hours, action on which is being taken by collector and SP, respectively. During polling, EVMs were replaced due to technical snag at some places.
Persuasion to end boycott
When local administration came to know about boycott of election at some places, it persuaded concerning people to participate in electoral process.Information of boycott was received from Churhat and Patera areas of Sidhi Parliamentary constituency and village Chakariya in Singrauli district.Information was also received that polling has come to a stop in Tamiya Chawalpani village in Chhindwara district, which was found to be false later.
On getting information about boycotting in village Dhau in Chhindwara district, sector magistrate and assistant returning officer rushed there and got polling started by persuading people.Polling was also resumed after persuading people in Jabalpur Cantt area.Similarly, people were also persuaded to cast votes in village of Nidhar in Mandla
district. District administration also persuaded people to end boycott and start polling at one polling booth at Bichhiya in Mandla district.