Bhopal: Over 71 percent of the electorate exercised their right to franchise in elections for the 14th Madhya Pradesh Assembly, election officials said on Tuesday.

Though the polling was to end at 5 PM for the Assembly elections yesterday, there were long queues of voters even after that time and the final voting percentage is now 71.24, according to the office of the state chief electoral officer.

This time 1.46 percent more votes have been polled as compared to the 2008 Assembly elections, when the voting percentage was 69.78.

A total of 2,583 candidates contested the polls for the state's 230 Assembly seats.

There was no Congress representation at Deosar constituency in Singrauli district as its candidate Dr H L Prajapati's nomination was found invalid since his resignation from a government job was not accepted.

Over 71 percent of the electorate exercised their right to franchise in elections for the 14th Madhya Pradesh Assembly, election officials said on Tuesday.