BHOPAL: A voter turnout of 76.2% was recorded in the assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh, which is the highest in the state’s history, officials said on Saturday.

Polling was held for all 230 constituencies in a single phase on Friday.

Seoni district in east MP recorded the highest voter turnout of 85.68%, while the tribal-dominated Alirajpur in the western region saw the lowest voter turnout of 60.1%, officials said.The second highest voter turnout of 85.23% was recorded in the Naxalites-hit Balaghat district in the western region sharing a border with Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra, indicating that ballots prevailed over bullets as Maoists discouraged people from voting and put roadblocks in the process.Rural high minus urban low in Chhattisgarh 2nd phaseChhattisgarh recorded a turnout of 75% in Phase-II of the assembly elections, notching up an overall average of 76.3%, a shade lower than the 2018 polling of 76.4%.Polling was quite subdued in urban areas, but electrifying in the rural belt.

What it means for the parties in the fray, especially governing Congress and main opposition BJP, will be learnt on December 3.The Election Commission released revised figures for both phases and declared the average turnout to be 76.3%.In the high-profile Patan seat, where CM Bhupesh Baghel is contesting, 84.3% of voters exercised their franchise.

MP Elections: Voters’ turnout recorded at 71.16% till 5 PM, says MP Chief Electoral Officer Anupam Rajan