Over 71 pc polling recorded in Jharkhand s Madhupur by-poll

More than 71 per cent of voters exercised their franchise in the by-election to the Madhupur assembly constituency in Jharkhand, where polling was held peacefully on Saturday, an official said.

Six contestants including JMM leader and minister Hafeezul Hasan Ansari and Ganga Narayan Singh of the BJP were in the fray.

Deoghar District Election Officer cum Deputy Commissioner Manjunath Bhajantra said that 71.60 per cent polling was recorded.

The bypoll was necessitated by the death of former minister Haji Hussain Ansari, father of the JMM nominee, on October 3 last year.