New Delhi

Nagaland has emerged as the frontrunner in bypoll voter turnout, with participation crossing the halfway mark by 1 pm, according to data from the Election Commission of India.

The Koridang constituency recorded a turnout of 59.52 per cent, the highest among all seats, while Tripura’s Dharmanagar constituency followed with 52.76 per cent, reflecting strong voter participation.

In Karnataka, polling picked up pace after a slower start. Bagalkot constituency reported a turnout of 43.75 per cent, leading in the state, while Davanagere South reached 37.17 per cent by early afternoon.

Earlier figures at 11 am showed Koridang at 41.06 per cent and Dharmanagar at 33.51 per cent, while Bagalkot and Davanagere South recorded 27.83 per cent and 22.01 per cent turnout, respectively.

Polling began at 7 am for by-elections in these constituencies. In Karnataka, the Congress has fielded Umesh Meti from Bagalkot and Samarth Mallikarjun from Davanagere South. The BJP candidates include Veerabhadrayya Charantimath and Srinivas T Dasakariyappa for the respective seats.

In Nagaland, Congress candidate T Chalukumba Ao is contesting against Daochier I Imchen of the BJP for the Koridang seat, which fell vacant following the death of veteran leader Imkong L Imchen.

In Tripura, BJP candidate Jahar Chakraborti is up against Congress’ Chayan Bhattacharjee, with CPI(M)’s Amitabha Datta also in the fray. The Dharmanagar seat became vacant after the demise of former Speaker Biswa Bandhu Sen.

Meanwhile, the proposed bypoll in Ponda in Goa has been cancelled following an order by the Bombay High Court.

READ MORE: From LoC to Bollywood: Naseem Mughal played Lulli Dakait in Dhurandhar

The Election Commission had earlier announced bypolls across eight Assembly constituencies in six states. Voting for seats in Gujarat and Maharashtra is scheduled for April 23, with counting of votes for all by-elections set for May 4.