NEW DELHI, May 29: Moderate to heavy turnout of voters marked the byeelections to three Lok Sabha and nine Assembly constituencies spread over eight states and East Delhi which passed off peacefully today.

Counting of ballots will be taken up on May 31 in all the three Lok Sabha constituenciesErnakulam (Kerala), East Delhi and Aska (Orissa) and nine assembly constituencies Shirdi (Maharashtra), Martur (Andhra Pradesh), Molakalmur (Karnataka), Qila Raipur (Punjab), Bhojpur and Khandwa (Madhya Pradesh), Daspalla and Nawapara (Orissa) and Farrukhabad (Uttar Pradesh).

The highest polling was recorded in Karnataka's Molakalmuru Assembly constituency, where ruling Janata Dal is locked in a prestige battle with Congress, with nearly 75 per cent of the 1.29 lakh electorate exercising their franchise, according to joint chief electoral officer N Khetrapal.

Heavy polling was recorded at Qila Raipur (65 per cent), Martur (63-65 per cent) and Shirdi (62 per cent) while fairly brisk balloting was reported from Bhojpur (50- 55 per cent), Nawapara (50 per cent) and Farrukhabad (52 per cent).

Barring some skirmishes between rival party supporters which did not stop balloting, polling was by and large peaceful in Farrukhabad.

Enthusiasm ran high in Shirdi constituency, where State Agriculture Minister Radhakrishna Vikhe patil is in fray against his main Congress rival Ravindra Deokar, with 65 per cent turnout of voters who included a 109-year-old woman.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.