The bumper voting trend that commenced in past three phases of polling in Madhya Pradesh continued in the fourth phase as well.
The polling held in eight constituencies on Sunday registered over 72 per cent polling, which is all time high.
The most prestigious, Indore seat witnessed dismal polling in the beginning, but the polling picked up later as the city recorded around 65% turn out by evening.
Last time the eight parliament seats had recorded 67% voting in 2014.
Besides, Dewas saw brisk polling right from the start and concluded with 78.48% voter turnout. Total 71.65% exercised franchise in Ujjain, 73.49 % in Mandsaur, 71.35% in Ratlam, 71.17% in Dhar, 65.18% in Indore, 76.09% in Kahrgone and 74.26% in Khandwa.
Prominent faces in the fray in the last phase were former union minister Kantilal Bhuria, senior Congress leader Meenakshi Natrajan, former MPCC chief Arun Yadav, former BJP state head Nandkumar Singh Chauhan and noted Kabir bhajan singer Prahlad Tipaniya.
The polling was boycotted at half a dozen villages in various districts but the administration managed to convince voters to exercise their franchise later. However, at village Pichhla in Suwasra assembly seat in Mandsaur, the voters remained adamant on boycott and only four votes were polled till 4pm in the village.
A woman voter, 58-year-old Genda Bai, died of cardiac arrest while standing in the queue outside polling booth under Sailana area in Ratlam, said Chief Electoral Officer of MP VL Kantha Rao.
Part of these eight assembly seats, the 64 assembly constituencies had recorded 77% polling during 2018 assembly polls, added Rao. On poll boycott, Rao clarified the commission make efforts to address issues of the voters in advance in case the boycott is announced ahead of the polls by asking the government department concerned to solve the issues of the region.
In village Khadki in Khandwa, only eight votes were polled by 4pm.
The officer affirmed an FIR was lodged against eight persons including an MP minister in Alirajpur the other day for campaigning beyond the permissible time limit in the constituency. “The minister was campaigning with 30 party workers after the campaigning had officially ended,” said Rao.
Jhabua-Ratlam MP Kantilal Bhuria was campaigning with Minister of Tourism and Narmada Valley Development Corporation Surendra Singh Baghel and others in Alirajpur on May 17 after the campaigning ended by 6pm.
