Bypolls 2020: Counting of votes for Chhattisgarh's Marwahi bypoll begins

Counting of votes got under way Tuesday morning in Chhattisgarh's Marwahi Assembly seat, once a bastion of former chief minister Ajit Jogi, whose death necessitated the November 3 bypoll.

The counting of votes began at 8 am at the Government Gurukul Vidyalaya, Gaurela, where security has been stepped up, a district poll official said.

Follow live updates of bypolls results 2020 here

Jogi, sitting Janata Congress Chhattisgarh (J) MLA died in May this year.

The ruling Congress and main opposition BJP in the state are locked in a direct fight in Marwahi, which is a part of the newly formed Gaurela-Pendra-Marwahi district.

Ahead of the November 3 bypoll, the nomination papers of JCC(J) leader Amit Jogi, the son of Ajit Jogi, and his wife Richa were rejected by the returning officer, who said their caste certificates were invalid.

Eight candidates contested the bypoll, but the main fight is between Congress's Dr K K Dhruw and BJP candidate Dr Gambheer Singh.

The seat, reserved for Scheduled Tribes candidates, recorded 77.89 per cent turnout in the bypoll.

On Tuesday, postal ballots were taken up for counting first followed by votes cast in the EVMs, the official said.

After the completion of counting of votes polled in the electronic voting machines, matching of VVPAT slips with EVMs at any five polling booths will be carried out, he said.

The voter verifiable paper audit trail (VVPAT) provides a feedback on paper to the electorate about whom they have voted.

In the 2018 Assembly poll in Marwahi, Ajit Jogi got 74,041 votes. He defeated BJP's Archana Porte by a margin of 46,462 votes, while the Congress nominee was placed third.

In the 90-member state Assembly, the Congress has 69 seats, BJP-14, JCC(J)-four and BSP-two seats.