MP bypoll: BJP, Cong candidates put up in rest houses to curb tension in Vijaypur

Bhopal: The district administration has put up the BJP and Congress candidates for Madhya Pradesh’s Vijapur assembly bypoll under its monitoring in different guest houses to prevent flare-ups and ensure peaceful voting, an official said.

Polling is underway smoothly in the bye elections in the Vijaypur assembly constituency in Sheopur district and Budhni seat in Sehore district.

Sheopur District Collector Kishore Kanyal said that Congress candidate Mukesh Malhotra has been kept at Virpur forest rest house, while his BJP rival Ramniwas Rawat is at a similar facility in Vijaypur.

“This action has been taken only as a precaution because tension was visible among the workers (of the two parties). I hope the election will be held peacefully. More and more voters are coming forward to cast their ballots,” he said.

The measure to keep the candidates under watch is aimed at preventing any law and order situation, the official said.

The bypoll in the Vijapur assembly seat was necessitated due to the resignation of Ramniwas Rawat, who crossed over from Congress to the BJP earlier this year. He is currently the forest minister in the Mohan Yadav government in MP and is contesting as BJP nominee.

Polling started at 7 am in Vijaypur and Budhni, where Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan cast his vote in his native Jait village.

The bypoll in Budhni was necessitated after Chouhan resigned following his election from Vidisha Lok Sabha seat and elevation as the Union minister.