In a tragic turn of events, Ashok Bhalavi, the BSP candidate for Betul in Madhya Pradesh, succumbed to a heart attack. It is reported that he experienced severe chest pain in the afternoon. Thereafter, his family rushed him to a nearby hospital, where doctors declared him deceased. Ashok Bhalavi, a vegetable trader from the village of Sohagpur, will be cremated in his hometown on Wednesday. Consequently, the electoral process for the Betul seat has been postponed.
The Collector, Narendra Suryavanshi, has notified the Election Commission about this development. Speaking to Aaj Tak, Madhya Pradesh's Chief Electoral Officer Anupam Rajan stated that 'the electoral process for the Betul seat will start afresh following the naming of a new BSP candidate.'
Source: aajtak
Originally Scheduled Voting in Betul on April 26
According to the Collector, the election for the Betul Lok Sabha seat will now be deferred. The Election Commission is expected to announce new dates for nominations and voting shortly. The voting in Betul was initially set to take place on April 26 as part of the second phase, which is now postponed.
Four-Phase Election in Madhya Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh's 29 seats will see polling in four phases, with the first phase witnessing voting on April 19 in Sidhi, Shahdol, Jabalpur, Mandla, Balaghat, and Chhindwara. The second phase, now pushed back in Betul, was planned for April 26, including voting in Tikamgarh, Damoh, Khajuraho, Satna, Rewa, Hoshangabad, and Betul.
The third phase is scheduled for May 7 with voting in Morena, Bhind, Gwalior, Guna, Sagar, Vidisha, Bhopal, and Rajgarh. Subsequently, the fourth phase on May 13 will have polls in Dewas, Ujjain, Mandsaur, Ratlam, Dhar, Indore, Khargone, and Khandwa. It is noteworthy that the Lok Sabha term is expected to conclude on June 16, 2024.
