By-elections to three Lok Sabha constituencies and 33 Assembly segments held across nine States on Saturday were by and large incident-free amid apprehensions of violence in Uttar Pradesh, which witnessed a heated campaign.
Barring a few Assembly segments like Manu in Tripura where 87 per cent polling was recorded, the turnout was average, ranging from a low of 32 per cent to 65 per cent. Polling in Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh -- which together accounted for more than double the number of seats where by-polls were held -- recorded about 50 per cent polling, while West Bengal was a shade better at around 60 per cent.
The three Lok Sabha seats where by-elections were held were Vadodara, Medak and Mainpuri, which were vacated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao and Samajwadi Party leader Mulayam Singh respectively.
Mr. Modi and Mr. Singh, who had contested the 16th Lok Sabha elections from two seats each, decided to retain their new constituencies, Varanasi and Azamgarh, respectively.
Most of the Assembly segments where by-elections were held had fallen vacant because the sitting representatives were elected to the Lok Sabha.
In U.P., where 11 Assembly seats and one Lok Sabha seat went to the polls, about 50 per cent of the electorate turned up to cast their votes till 5 p.m.
