Mumbai, July 30: Voting for the Datia Assembly by-election in Madhya Pradesh commenced on Thursday at 7 AM as scheduled. Strict security measures were implemented, and long queues of voters formed outside several polling stations even before voting began.
Officials announced that voting will continue until 6 PM. The election features a direct contest between BJP candidate Ashutosh Tiwari and Congress candidate Ghanshyam Singh, who has previously represented the Datia Assembly seat twice.
According to election officials, a total of 291 polling stations have been set up in the area, with 220,400 voters eligible to cast their votes. Long lines were observed at many polling booths from the morning, reflecting the enthusiasm among voters.
Ghanshyam Singh’s daughter, Mandvi Singh, stated, “People are coming out to vote and exercising their democratic right to choose their leader. From what I can see, the election seems to be leaning in favor of the Congress party.”
The Indian Meteorological Department has issued a rain alert for the area, advising voters to carry umbrellas or raincoats when heading to polling stations.
To ensure independent, fair, and peaceful voting, a total of 1,422 security personnel, including 16 companies of the Armed Border Force, have been deployed. Security forces are stationed at sensitive polling stations, while mobile sector teams are patrolling the area continuously.
Datia Collector and District Election Officer Swapnil Wankhede mentioned that the voting process is being monitored in real-time through webcasting from the control room at the collectorate.
According to the Election Commission of India (ECI), voters without a voter photo ID can still cast their votes by presenting any of the 13 alternative photo identification documents approved by the commission. These include Aadhaar cards, PAN cards, driving licenses, passports, photo bank or post office passbooks, pension documents, health insurance smart cards, MGNREGA job cards, and unique disability identity cards.
This by-election is being conducted under the supervision of the Election Commission, with multiple layers of security in place to ensure peaceful voting. The counting of votes is scheduled for August 3, as per the commission’s announcement.
–
Leave a Comment