Polling for 12 Zilla Parishads and 125 Panchayat Samitis in 12 districts of Maharashtra started on a sluggish be aware on Saturday, registering a voter turnout of round 52 per cent. Election officers mentioned the ultimate determine of voting can be obtainable by late night or by early Sunday morning. The polling was peaceable and there have been fewer complaints regarding bogus voting or ”errors” in EVMs. The counting of votes can be completed on Monday.
“By 3.30 pm, the common voting per centage was round 52 per cent. It’s anticipated to be between 65 and 70 per cent by 5.30 pm. Since there have been lengthy queues of voters even after 5.30 pm, the provision of voting proportion has been delayed at most locations,” an election official mentioned.
Pune district collector Jitendra Dudi mentioned, “The voting per centage in Pune district by 3.30 pm was 51 per cent. The general per centage is round 68 per cent.”
Dudi mentioned polling was peaceable and there have been no complaints of bogus voting or failure of EVMs. “Since voting continued past 5.30 pm, the provision of ultimate voting per centage was additionally delayed,” he mentioned.
As per the provisional report of Pune district election officers, Velha-Rajgad taluka recorded the very best ballot per centage of 79%, adopted by Maval 77.43%, Khed 75.46%, Shirur 75.59%, Ambegaon 65.30%, Purandar 68.37%, Mulshi 63.79%, Bhor 75.62%, Bhor 75.62%, and Indapur 65.57%. Baramati registered a low of 54.67%.
Satara district collector Santosh Patil informed The Indian Categorical, “Polling in Satara district until 3.30 pm was round 51.02%. By 5.30 pm, the determine would go as much as 70 per cent. At some locations like Mahabaleshwar, the voting registered was 58% by 3.30 pm. At different talukas, it was 54%. Primarily based on these figures, we anticipate the voting per centage to be between 65 to 70 per cent.”
Patil mentioned that at a few locations, EVMs confronted issues and so they have been changed rapidly.
The polling was marred by verbal clashes between employees of various events together with BJP, Shiv Sena and NCP.
Tense moments have been witnessed in Wadgaon Haveli space of Karad taluka (Satara district) following allegations of bogus voting. BJP and NCP employees indulged in a verbal duel, inflicting pressure within the polling station space. Police intervened and defused the state of affairs.
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In Parbhani district too, tense moments have been witnessed in Ranisavaragaon as a voter, a religious seer, alleged that he was stopped from casting his vote. He alleged that election officers have been dancing to the tune of BJP. Although the police intervened, he walked away with out casting his vote.
Shiv Sena MLA Vilas Bhumare took his son together with him to solid vote and even utilized ink to the index finger of his son, triggering an argument. Later, Bhumare clarified, “My son is simply too younger to know what EVMs are all about. I simply utilized ink to his finger. I solid my vote,” he mentioned.
An audio clip of a former Shiv Sena minister, which went viral in Dharashiv district, raised eyebrows. The audio clip contained conversations relating to distribution of cash amongst voters.
In Roha taluka of Raigad district, Shraddha Kundale, a voter who exercised her franchise minutes earlier than tying the knot along with her husband, mentioned, “Voting isn’t just a proper however a step to strengthen democracy… All of the voters ought to train their proper to vote assured by the Structure.” In Saverde village of Sangli too, one other girl, Sonali Mane, solid her vote earlier than her marriage was solemnised on Saturday.
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As many as 2,200 voters boycotted polling in Balgavde village of Sangli district to protest the transfer to fell round 15,000 timber for a photo voltaic vitality undertaking.
The Zilla Parishad polls, that are being held underneath the cloud of Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar’s dying in an air crash final month, are being seen as a litmus take a look at for the NCP factions, that are contesting in an alliance of their strongholds in western Maharashtra.
On January 28, Ajit Pawar was heading to marketing campaign for ZP polls in Baramati taluka when his airplane crashed close to the airport. He died within the airplane crash together with 4 others. Following his dying, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis determined to not marketing campaign. Equally, Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde too made the same announcement. After Ajit Pawar’s dying, the ZP election marketing campaign misplaced its sting as most prime leaders stayed away, leaving it to native leaders.
In the meantime, Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar, NCP (SP) leaders Jayant Patil and Rohit Pawar have been among the many early voters as polling commenced at 7:30 a.m.
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Sunetra Pawar solid her vote alongside along with her elder son, Parth Pawar, at a major college in Katewadi village in Baramati. She appealed to residents throughout the state to actively take part within the essential democratic course of for a brighter future. Rohit Pawar appealed to voters to make sure the victory of candidates fielded by Ajit Pawar and his get together as a tribute to him.
The zilla Parishads of Raigad, Ratnagiri, Sindhudurg, Pune, Satara, Sangli, Solapur, Kolhapur, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Parbhani, Dharashiv, and Latur, in addition to the panchayat samitis underneath their jurisdiction, are voting to elect their representatives.
The counting of votes will start at 10 am on February 9, after which the mannequin code of conduct can be lifted.
The elections, initially scheduled for February 5, have been postponed following the dying of Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar in an air crash on January 28 and the next declaration of three days of state mourning.
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NCP (SP) chief Rohit Pawar urged residents to actively take part within the democratic course of by exercising their proper to vote.
Political observers imagine the result will dictate if the 2 factions, now led by the late Ajit Pawar’s successors and patriarch Sharad Pawar, will ultimately merge or not.
The 2 factions had put aside their bitter two-year rivalry to contest these native physique polls in an off-the-cuff alliance in Pune, Satara, Solapur and Sangli, the place candidates from each side are contesting underneath the unique clock image.
Whereas grassroots employees have hailed the local-level coordination as a “tribute to Ajit Dada”, the highest management stays cautious.
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A complete of two,624 candidates are contesting for 731 zilla parishad seats, of which 369 are reserved for ladies, 83 for Scheduled Castes, 25 for Scheduled Tribes and 191 for the Different Backward Courses (OBCs).
Equally, 4,814 candidates are contesting for 1,462 panchayat samiti seats, of which 731 are reserved for ladies, 166 for Scheduled Castes, 38 for Scheduled Tribes and 342 for the Different Backward Courses.
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