As voters queued up outside booths for the single-phased polling for the 230-member Madhya Pradesh Assembly began on Friday, 95-year-old Ram Murthi, who also showed up to get his finger inked, exhorted fellow natives to "do their duty and cast their votes".
A BJP candidate and an Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) supporter sustained injuries after unidentified persons opened fire in Madhya Pradesh's Mehgaon Assembly constituency on Friday.
Madhya Pradesh recorded a voter turnout of 45.40 per cent while neighbouring Chhattisgarh saw 38.22 per cent polling in the second phase till 1 pm on Friday, the Election Commission informed.
BJP is seeking to retain power in the state where it has ruled for almost 18 of the past 20 years and Congress is keen to oust the Shivraj Singh Chouhan government.
Madhya Pradesh recorded a voter turnout of 27.62 per cent while neighbouring Chhattisgarh saw 19.65 per cent polling in the second phase till 11 am on Friday, the Election Commission informed on Friday.
Union Minister and Bharatiya Janata Party leader Virendra Kumar on Friday said that the day of voting is no less than a festival and cast his vote at a polling booth in Tikamgarh district while polling is underway for the 230-member Assembly in Madhya Pradesh.
Narendra Chouhan, the brother of Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, on Friday talked up the prospects of the ruling BJP in the single-phased Assembly elections, which is currently underway in the state.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday extended his greetings to first-time voters in Madhya Pradesh where polling is underway for the 230-member Assembly.
Voting for Madhya Pradesh's all 230 assembly seats began at 7 a.m. today. The voters can cast their ballots until 6 p.m., except in the Baihar, Lanji, and Parswara assembly seats of Balaghat district and some booths in Mandla and Dindori districts, where voting will be held until 3 p.m.