By IANS,
Bhopal : Polling in the 230 assembly constituencies of Madhya Pradesh got off to a sluggish start Thursday as many voters remained in their homes due to the chilly weather.
Polling began at 8 a.m. amid tight security. Poll officials said they expected voting to pick up by noon.
The election will decide the fate of 3,179 candidates, including 1,374 independents.
Over 260 police and paramilitary companies have been deployed across the state to maintain tight security. Police officers of the rank of inspector general have been posted in sensitive districts like Betul, Datia, Harda, Tikamgarh, Ratlam and Sidhi.
The Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) are contesting 228 seats each. The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) has fielded candidates in all 230 constituencies while the Samajwadi Party is contesting 225 seats; the Bharatiya Jana Shakti (BJS) is contesting 215 seats and the Samanata Dal has fielded candidates in only 75 constituencies.