Polling for the Pharenda assembly by-polls in Maharajganj district passed off peacefully with 52.5 per cent of the total 3.23 lakh voters used their franchise on Thursday. Election Office sources here said that there was not a single incident of violence during the polling which started at 8amhrs and ended at 5pm. Around 1.69 lakh voters used their franchise in the polls. During the 2012 assembly polls the voting percentage was 59.99 while in thd 2014 lok Sabha polls the segment polled 56.47 per cent. Around 17 companies of Central forces have been deployed to monitor free and fair polls The counting of votes would be taken up on May 3.
It may be mentioned that the campaigning in the by-polls was affected by the earthquake in Nepal as the constituency is near the Indo-Nepal border. There are seven candidates in the fray with sitting member and BJP candidate Bajrang Bahadur Singh, Vinod of the Samajwadi Party and Virendra Choudhury of the Congress are the main contenders. BSP is not contesting the by-poll .The seat fell vacant following disqualification of the BJP member Bajrang Bahadurm after he was found availing government contracts by the lokayukta. Bajrang is again trying to retain the seat.