Jangipur by-poll sees 60% voter turnout

Jangipur, West Bengal: A total 60 percent votes were cast today in the by-election to Jangipur Lok Sabha constituency in Murshidabad district where President Pranab Mukherjee’s son Abhijit Mukherjee is a contestant. Returning officer Rajiv Kumar said the polling was peaceful across the constituency with ten companies of central forces deployed in the sensitive areas.[caption id=“attachment_486426” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  President Pranab Mukherjee’s son and Congress candidate Abhijit Mukherjee arrives to cast his vote for Jangipur by-election in Murshidabad on Wednesday. PTI [/caption] However, polling was boycotted in 26 booths as a mark of protest against bad roads and lack of electricity, he added. The by-poll was necessitated by the resignation of Pranab Mukjerjee after his elevation to the highest office. He had won twice consecutively from Jangipur - in 2004 and 2009. The total electorate in the constituency is 12,40,000 and Mukherjee is fighting a multi-cornered contest against Muzaffar Hussain (CPM)and Sudhangshu Biswas (BJP). Trinamool Congress has not put up any candidate against Abhijit Mukherjee as a political gesture despite severance of ties with the Congress. PTI