Polling begins in Madhya Pradesh
Bhopal, Nov 28 : Polling began Wednesday morning to elect a 230-member assembly in Madhya Pradesh, where the ruling BJP and opposition Congress are fighting for supremacy.
Polling is being held between 8 am and 5 pm on 227 seats, while in three assembly segments - Lanji, Paraswada and Baihar - in the Naxal-affected Balaghat district, voting time is between 7 am to 3 pm.
The BJP is eyeing a fourth straight term in office, while the Congress is hoping for a comeback in the state which was once its stronghold.
The battle of ballots in Madhya Pradesh is just months ahead of the Lok Sabha polls slated in the first half of 2019.
As many as 2,899 candidates, including 1,094 independents, are in the fray for the 230 seats, but the main contest is between the Congress and BJP - the Big Two of MP politics.
The state has 5.04 crore eligible voters.
State Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) V L Kantha Rao said Tuesday 3,00,782 government employees, including 45,904 women, have been deployed on poll duty across the state, where 65,341 polling stations have been set up.
The CEO said 17,000 of these polling booths have been declared 'sensitive' and additional vigil will be maintained there.
As many as 1.80 lakh security personnel, including those drawn from central paramilitary forces, have been deployed to ensure free and fair poll, Rao said.
"Special measures have been taken for sensitive booths. Webcasting will be held from 6,500 polling stations, while videography will be carried out at 4,600 booths," he said.
Rao said 78,870 EVMs will be used during the poll. Among the 2,899 candidates, 250 are women and five are from the third gender, the CEO said.
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Man booked for duping 7 persons of Rs 91 lakh on promise of awarding govt works
Mumbai (PTI): The Mumbai police have registered a case against a man for allegedly duping seven persons of Rs 91 lakhs on the promise of awarding them works of different government departments, an official said on Tuesday.
The accused was identified as Satish Kadam, a resident of Nanded in Marathwada region, an official said.
A complaint was filed by Hanumant Vadje, who alleged that the accused cheated him and six others of around Rs 91 lakh by promising to give them various works of Urban Development and Social Justice Department, he said.
The fraud occurred between 2024 and 2026, with Kadam collecting money in cash and into his accounts, police said, adding he had returned some amount to them partially.
Multiple cheques issued by the accused bounced, prompting the victim to lodge a complaint at the Marine Drive police station. Based on the complaint, a case of cheating and criminal breach of trust was registered against him.
The case is under further investigation, the official said.
