Twenty-nine per cent turnout was recorded in the first few hours of the ongoing polls to the Ramgarh assembly constituency.....

Jaipur, Jan 28 (PTI) Twenty-nine per cent turnout was recorded in the first few hours of the ongoing polls to the Ramgarh assembly constituency on Monday, officials said. "Polling started at 8 am. VVPAT machines at five booths were replaced during a mock poll drill and three were replaced after polling began, Returning Officer Pankaj Sharma said. Officials said 29 per cent of the 2.35 lakh voters turned out during the initial hours of voting in the assembly constituency.

There are 278 polling booths set up for the election in Ramgarh and more than 2,500 policemen have been deployed on election duty. Nine area magistrates are also monitoring the election in the constituency. Election to the constituency could not be held along with other seats during the December 7 Rajasthan assembly polls due to the death of BSP candidate Laxman Singh.

As many as 20 candidates are contesting the election.The BSP has fielded former union minister Natwar Singh's ex-MLA son Jagat Singh while former Alwar Zila Pramukh Shafia Zubair Khan is contesting as Congress candidate and Sukhwant singh is the BJP candidate. Counting of votes will take place on January 31.