25 % turnout in Jawali, 28 % in Rohru Assy bypolls

About 25 per cent of the total voters exercised their franchise in the first four hours to elect their representative in bypoll to Jawali Vidhan Sabha seat in Kangra district, while 28 per cent turned up to vote in the bypoll for Rohru Assembly constituency in Shimla district as the polling began at 0800hrs.

According to state election office sources, polling was peaceful. Polling began on a brisk note with a 10 per cent turnout in the first two hours.

A total 145,957 voters are eligible to decide the fate of eight candidates, including four Independents, on both the seats. The main contest is between the Opposition Congress and the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party.

The Congress has fielded former minister Sujan Singh Pathania against BJP's Baldev Raj Chaudhary from Jawali. BJP rebel Madan Sharma is also contesting from Jawali as an Independent candidate. From Rohru, BJP has pitted Khushi Ram Balnatah against Manjit Singh of the Congress. Chief Electoral Officer Khachi said 209 polling parties have been deployed in both the constituencies. ''In Rohru, a polling party trudged 14 km to reach the polling booth in Pandar in the interiors of Dodra Kawar,'' he said. According to him, 24 and 17 polling stations have been declared hyper sensitive in Rohru and Jawali, respectively. The Rohru seat fell vacant after five-time former chief minister Virbhadra Singh of the Congress was elected to the Lok Sabha, while the bypoll in Jawali has been necessitated after election of Rajan Sushant of the BJP to Parliament.

-- (UNI) -- 07DR17.xml

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