MP records 71.64% polling till 5 pm; Congress lists BJP workers' 'offences'

Bhopal: The single-phase Assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh concluded at its scheduled time of 6 p.m. on Friday with the state recording a voter turnout of 71.64 per cent till 5 p.m., according to Election Commission data.

Polling in three Maoist-affected districts -- Balaghat, Dindori and Mandla -- concluded at 3 p.m.

Over a dozen reports of clashes between the supporters of different political parties were reported, including firing and stone pelting in the Gwalior-Chambal region.

After the voting got over, the opposition Congress released a long list of incidents and alleged that the supporters of the ruling BJP were found involved in serious offences during polling across Madhya Pradesh.

The Madhya Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) claimed the list of offences by BJP workers was prepared on the basis of inputs or complaints received at the party’s war room. The opposition claimed that over 200 complaints were received throughout the day, 15 of them 'serious' in nature.

State Congress chief Kamal Nath and Rajya Sabha MP Digvijaya Singh along with a team of legal experts conducted a detailed analysis on the reports received from the party’ war room, and a message was conveyed to the state police and the Election Commission in this regard, the party said in an official statement.

The MPCC claimed that it has lodged complaints over 15 incidents that were found to be serious offences and the BJP workers were found involved in all of them. The list of serious offences includes an incident in Chhatarpur district, where a Congress cooperator was killed late on Thursday.

A tribal man was brutally attacked in Rewa district who is recuperating at a hospital, the party said.

At Dimani in Morena district, where Union Minister Narendra Singh Tomar is the BJP candidate, two persons were shot at in broad daylight, it said.

It also claimed that Congress candidate Gyan Singh from Sidhi Assembly seat was attacked and his vehicle was damaged by BJP workers.

The list of offences includes BJP supporters threatening and manhandling Congress supporters at Vijayraghavgarh in Katni district. A purported video related to the incident went viral on social media.

It also alleged that BJP workers pelted stones on Congress candidate Vikrant Bhuria in Jhabua, causing minor injury.

The Congress workers were attacked with swords in Mhow, the MPCC alleged.