Peaceful by-polls held in Bhadohi

The by-election in Bhadohi was by and large peaceful and recorded 44 per cent turnout.

The counting of votes would begin on March 1. Around 14 candidates were in the race. The by-election was conducted as the seat fell vacant after the death of BSP legislator Archana Saroj. The BSP had fielded Saroj Pasi who is brother of late Archana Pasi. The BJP’s candidate was Chit Lal Sonkar while Congress had fielded Suresh Guatam. The Samajwadi Party’s candidate was Madhubala Pasi. An independent candidate,Dinanath Bhaskar,was also in the fray. Bhaskar had fought the election as an SP candidate against Archana in the 2007 Assembly election.

The BSP,meanwhile,has pitted former BJP leader Sukhda Pandey against Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Sriprakash Jaiswal from the Kanpur Nagar Lok Sabha seat. Pandey was inducted into the BSP fold after she resigned from the BJP on Thursday. She was a Member of the Assembly from the Etawah seat for four terms from 1974 to 1992. She had also represented the Etawah seat in the Parliament in the year 1998.