Chandigarh, Nov 3 (IANS): A 68 per cent voter turnout was recorded in the by-election for the Baroda Assembly segment till 6 pm on Tuesday and it was slated to increase as many voters were still seen queuing up at polling booths when the polling time ended.

The polling percentage was 69 in this segment in the 2019 elections.

The polling was sluggish in the morning hours but picked up after noon. Nearly 34 per cent polling was registered till 1 pm, with women turning out in large numbers to cast their votes, officials said.

A total of 1.81 lakh voters will decide the fate of 14 candidates, including seven Independents, though the main contest is between ruling BJP and opposition Congress.

The Congress has pitted former Sonepat Zila Parishad member Induraj Narwal against BJP candidate and wrestler Yogeshwar Dutt. The Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) has fielded Joginder Singh Malik.

The bypoll has been necessitated by the death of three-time Congress legislator Sri Krishan Hooda.

Baroda is considered a stronghold of Congress leader and former two-time Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, who aggressively campaigned along with his member of Parliament son Deepender Hooda.

Dutt belongs to Bhainswal Kalan in Sonepat district and joined the BJP in 2019 ahead of the Assembly elections. He contested from this seat in 2019 also, but lost his maiden poll battle to Hooda by around 5,000 votes.

The BJP tried its luck this time with the support of alliance partner Jannayak Janta Party (JJP), a breakaway faction of the INLD.

Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar is confident of wresting the seat from the Congress with the support of the JJP.

The BJP had won 40 of the 90 Assembly seats in 2019 and formed the government with the JJP's support, which had won 10 seats. The Congress had won 31 seats.