U'khand bypolls: Counting of votes underway for two assembly seats

The voter turnout in Badrinath was 47.68 per cent and polling there remained peaceful.The counting of votes began at 8 am.The Manglaur bypoll was necessitated following the death of sitting BSP MLA Sarwat Karim Ansari in October last year.

Counting of votes for the bypolls to the Manglaur and the Badrinath assembly constituencies in Uttarakhand was underway on Saturday.

Voting took place on both the seats on Wednesday.

The bypoll to the Manglaur seat was marred by violence that left four people injured, even as a 67.28 per cent polling was recorded in the constituency. The voter turnout in Badrinath was 47.68 per cent and polling there remained peaceful.

The counting of votes began at 8 am.

The Manglaur bypoll was necessitated following the death of sitting BSP MLA Sarwat Karim Ansari in October last year. The Badrinath seat fell vacant after sitting Congress MLA Rajendra Bhandari resigned and switched to the BJP in March.

The BSP fielded Ansari's son Ubedur Rehman against Congress nominee Qazi Nizamuddin in Manglaur.

Gujjar leader and BJP nominee Kartar Singh Bhadana was also in the fray from the Muslim and Dalit-dominated constituency which has been held either by the BSP or the Congress in the past.

In Badrinath, there was a direct contest between BJP's Rajendra Bhandari and Congress newcomer Lakhpat Singh Butola.

The other two candidates in the fray in Badrinath were former CRPF officer Himmat Singh of the Sainik Samaj Party and Naval Khali, a journalist who is contesting as an Independent candidate.