Tezpur, Nov. 19: Over 70 per cent turnout was recorded in the byelection to Hayuliang Assembly constituency in Anjaw district of Arunachal Pradesh today.

The battle of ballots was between two women candidates - BJP's Dasanglu Pul and Congress-backed Independent candidate Yompi Kri.

The outcome will assume significance for the BJP, which is part of the Pema Khandu-led PPA government. Khandu had walked out of the Congress with 42 MLAs in September to form the PPA government, reducing the ruling party to just one MLA.

Dasanglu Pul is the widow of late Kalikho Pul, who had briefly served as Arunachal chief minister. She is the youngest of Pul's three wives. Her rival, Yompi Kri, is the wife of Lupalam Kri, a PHE chief engineer whose nomination was rejected after getting a Congress ticket. The bypoll was necessitated after Kalikho Pul, the sitting MLA, committed suicide on August 9.

Anjaw deputy commissioner-cum-returning officer #Mamata Riba told The Telegraph that there was no report of poll-related clashes and the bypoll was totally peaceful. The election was conducted with tight security measures at every polling station, including remote border areas. She said the poll concluded as scheduled by the Election Commission at 4pm.

Deputy chief electoral officer D.J. Bhattacharjee said from Itanagar that approximately 70 per cent polling had been recorded, excluding in the remote areas.

Altogether, 11,003 voters (5,495 men and 5,508 women) exercised their franchise in 81 polling stations. The booths in Kibitho, Aphumna and Taflagam were situated near the international border with China. While Hayuliang booth had the highest numbers of voters (955), Malogam had only two voters. Amliang was an all-women polling station, official sources said.

At Walong, the model polling booth, more votes were cast than the earlier election, sources said.

The result is scheduled to be declared on November 22.