NEW DELHI - Nearly 55 percent polling was recorded Thursday for by-polls to 20 assembly constituencies in seven states - an exercise seen as the first major popularity test for various parties after the Lok Sabha elections.
Seven of the constituencies are in Gujarat, seven in Bihar, two in Madhya Pradesh and one each in Uttarakhand, Sikkim, Andhra Pradesh and Delhi.
In Gujarat, bye-elections were held in Chotila, Jasdan, Dhoraji, Kodinar, Dahegam, Sami and Data constituencies of Saurashtra and north Gujarat regions and nearly 62 percent of the voters exercised their franchise.
The by-polls in Gujarat are seen as an acid test for Chief Minister Narendra Modi, who had claimed that his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) would fetch 24 of the 26 Lok Sabha seats from the state in the April-May elections. But the party ended up winning only 15 seats - only one more than its total in the 2004 elections.
Modi received another setback when his party lost a crucial municipal corporation election in its stronghold of Junagadh city last month.
In Bihar, polling was held in Bochaha, Warisnagar and Chenari (all Scheduled Castes), and Aurai, Kalyanpur, Ramgarh, and Chainpur. It recorded an estimated 40 percent turnout in the absence of any untoward incidents.
Buoyed with its success in the Lok Sabha elections, the Congress contested the Bihar by-polls on its own, having cold-shouldered overtures of Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad and Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) president Ram Vilas Paswan.
The BJP and the Janata Dal-United (JD-U) alliance that is ruling the state contested elections together.
In Madhya Pradesh, bye-elections were held for Gohad and Tendukheda constituencies. In the BJP-ruled state, nearly 45 percent of voting was recorded in the two constituencies.
Namchi Singithong constituency in Sikkim recorded around 67 percent polling while Vikasnagar in Uttarakhand recorded approximately 55 percent of turnout.
In Delhi, the by-elections were held for Dwarka seat as the sitting legislator Mahabal Mishra (Congress) became an MP. The voter turnout in Delhi was a lowly 46 percent.
In Andhra pradesh where election took place for Tekkali constituency, over 70 percent voters cast their ballot.
The votes will be counted on Sep 14.
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