Around 64% voters exercise franchise in Dumri by polls
Though the voter turnout dipped by around 5 per cent compared to the 2019 assembly elections, election commission officials termed the turnout “impressive”, given the monsoon rain affecting polling in Dumri.
Approximately 64.84 per cent of the 298,000 registered voters exercised their franchise on Tuesday in the Dumri assembly by-election, determining the fate of six candidates in the fray, which will be unveiled on September 8 when the votes are scheduled to be counted.
Though the voter turnout dipped by around 5 per cent compared to the 2019 assembly elections, election commission officials termed the turnout “impressive”, given the monsoon rain affecting polling in Dumri.
“The voting percentage at 5 pm was 63.75 per cent. The numbers could further rise once the final figures arrive as a few voters were lined up at polling booths,” an official said.
Even as the main contest is said to be locked between Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM)’s Bebi Devi and AJSU Party’s Yashoda Devi, AIMIM’s Abdul Rizvi, who emerged fourth in a four-corner contest in 2019, has made efforts to make the fight triangular this time around as well.
While JMM was backed by the INDIA allies Congress and the RJD, Yashoda Devi of AJSU Party was backed by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), its senior partner in the National Democratic Alliance (NDA).
On Tuesday, both INDIA and NDA fronts claimed victory for their candidate.
Aditya Sahu, BJP Rajya Sabha member and party in-charge for the Dumri assembly by-election said the NDA candidate would win despite the “misuse of state machinery” by the ruling party candidate.
“People’s power proved to be mightier than money and muscle power. The people of Dumri have voted against this anti-youth and anti-women government, which misused the state machinery and money to influence voters. But we thank the people of Dumri for rejecting the JMM candidate,” said Sahu.
However, JMM spokesperson Supriyo Bhattacharya claimed victory for their candidate.
“As per the reports from the ground, the election has been peaceful. Voters of Dumri have paid tribute to the former education minister Jagarnath Mahto by voting heavily in favour of Bebi Devi,” said Bhattacharya.
