Punjab recorded 63.91 pc voter turnout in bypolls; Gidderbaha constituency sees highest turnout, Chabbewal lowest

Chandigarh (Punjab) [India], November 23 (ANI): The by-elections in Punjab were conducted in four assembly constituencies--Gidderbaha, Dera Baba Nanak, Chabbewal (SC), and Barnala--recording an overall voter turnout of 63.91 per cent. Counting of votes began on Saturday morning.
According to the Election Commission of India (ECI), the Gidderbaha constituency registered the highest participation at 81.90 per cent, while Chabbewal (SC) marked the lowest turnout at 53.43 per cent.

"64.01 per cent voting was recorded in Dera Baba Nanak. The votes of this constituency will be conducted in 18 rounds. In Vidhan Sabha constituency Chabbewal (SC), a total of 53.43 per cent voting was recorded. The counting will be done in 15 rounds in this constituency," said the poll body.
"A total of 81.90 per cent voting was recorded in Gidderbaha constituency. The counting will be done in 13 rounds in Gidderbaha. While, 56.34 percent voting was recorded in Barnala constituency. Counting here will be done in 16 rounds," it said.
Over the past few weeks, bypolls were held on 48 assembly seats in 14 states - Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Meghalaya, Punjab, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal.
Elections were also held on two Lok Sabha seats - Kerala's Wayanad and Maharashtra's Nanded.
These elections mark the electoral debut of Congress' Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, who is contesting in Wayanad, earlier held by her brother Rahul Gandhi.
The bypolls were held in 48 assembly seats and two Lok Sabha seats across 15 states, with notable contests in Uttar Pradesh and Wayanad and Kerala.
Counting began at 8 am on Saturday for the 2024 Jharkhand and Maharashtra Assembly Elections, along with bypoll results from 15 states. The counting, which will decide the fate of the 288 seats in Maharashtra and 81 in Jharkhand, is expected to reveal trends in the first few hours.
In Maharashtra, the polling for the Legislative Assembly was held on Wednesday, with a turnout of over 66 percent, surpassing the 61 percent recorded in the 2019 elections.
The Mahayuti alliance, which includes the BJP, Shiv Sena, and NCP, is in a tough contest with the MVA alliance consisting of Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT), and NCP (SP). Both alliances view the increased voter turnout as a sign of support for their respective campaigns.
In Jharkhand, the contest is between the JMM-led alliance, comprising Congress, RJD, and CPI(ML), and the BJP-led NDA alliance, which includes AJSU, JD(U), and LJP.
Exit polls predict the NDA could win between 42-47 seats, while the JMM-led alliance is expected to secure 25-30 seats.
Voter turnout in Jharkhand was reported at over 68.45 percent on election day, surpassing the 2019 elections turnout of 65 percent. In the 2019 elections, the JMM won 30 seats, BJP 25, and Congress 16 seats.
The results for all 81 constituencies in Jharkhand, along with the Maharashtra and bypoll results, will be declared today. (ANI)