Balaghat (Madhya Pradesh): The voters and poll officials gave a standing ovation to 105-year-old Bhurkan Bai, wife of late Tunsiram Raut, when her nephew wheeled her into booth number 42 in the Murjhar area of Balaghat on Friday. The elderly lady is a resident of ward-7 in Murjhar.
The residents of Salaitola village in Waraseoni constituency, who resolved to keep away from voting because of want of a road, agreed to call off their resolution after the officials convinced them to vote. The villagers were assured that the road would be constructed by March 2024. In Maoist-hit constituencies in Ballaghat district, polling was held till 3pm. According to official sources, Baihar constituency recorded 61.87% of voting, Lanji 74.4% and Parswada 72.32%.
Sources further said there was a long queue of voters outside the polling stations even after the end of polling. Nearly 157 slips were distributed among the voters who were standing outside a polling station at Gudru village in Paraswada constituency. A polling booth was set up for 42 voters in Sonewani constituency which is surrounded by forest. The voters had to walk up to 20 kilometers to vote, because there is no road. This polling booth recorded cent per cent voting.
District electoral officer Girish Mishra and superintendent of police Sameer Saurabh surveyed polling in Maoist-hit areas like Paraswada, Baihar and Lanji by helicopter. Mishra said that Naxa-hit 1,100 booths were under live CCTV cameras monitored from the control room. Polling continued in areas in Balaghat till 6pm.
