Mumbai: In the second phase of Lok Sabha elections in Maharashtra today, amid unbearable heat, an average of 53.51 percent voting took place till 5 pm on eight seats. The fate of 204 candidates including Navneet Kaur Rana has been sealed in the EVM machine and the counting will take place on June 4. However, today the highest voting took place in Hingoli at 52.03 percent.
Small sporadic polling was held in Vidarbha (East) Akola, Amravati, Buldhana, Wardha and Yavatmal-Washim constituencies of Maharashtra and Hingoli, Nanded and Parbh. constituencies of Central Marathwada region between 7 am and 6 pm.
Election officials said that till 5 pm today, 56.66 percent voting was recorded in Wardha, 54.50 percent in Amravati, 53.79 percent in Parbh., 52.49 percent in Akola, 52.47 percent in Nanded, 52.24 percent in Buldhana and 52.03 percent in Hingoli.
No untoward incident was reported during voting in these constituencies and the process remained largely peaceful. The officer added.
A 26-year-old man was arrested for damaging an electronic voting machine (EVM) by hitting it with a metal object in Rampuri in Nanded Lok Sabha constituency. Later during interrogation he told the police that he wanted a pro-farmer and pro-labor government in power.
According to officials, a total of 204 candidates were in the fray. The fate of 21 candidates in Buldhana, 15 in Akola, 37 in Amravati, 24 in Wardha, 17 in Yavatmal Washim, 33 in Hingoli, 23 in Nanded and 34 in Parbh. is sealed in EVMs. The machine has been sealed.
Of the approximately 1.49 crore voters at 16,589 polling stations in eight constituencies of the state, the number of male voters is 77,21,374 and the number of female voters is 72,04,106. Apart from this, 432 voters of third category were eligible to vote.
Former Chief Minister Ashok Chavan, who broke ties with Congress and joined BJP, has become a Rajya Sabha MP from BJP. Voted with my family members early in the morning in Nanded.
In Buldhana, Yavatmal-Washim and Hingoli, a direct contest has been seen between Shiv Sena led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Shiv Sena led by Uddhav Thackeray.
There is a triangular contest on Amravati seat. There is a tough fight between Balwant Wankhede of Congress, Navneet Rana of BJP and Prahar Janshakti Party candidate Dinesh Boob.
In Wardha, NCP (Sharad Pawar) candidate Amar Kale and BJP MP Ramdas Tadse are face to face.
In Nanded, BJP’s Pratap Chikhalkar has a direct contest with Congress candidate Vasant Chavan.
Anup Ghosh of BJP and Abhay Patil of Congress are face to face in Akola. But the third candidate is Prakash Ambedkar from Bahujan Aghadi.
In Parbh., Shiv Sena (UBT) candidate Sanjay Jadhav is contesting against Mahayuti’s constituent Rashtriya Samaj Paksha candidate Mahadev Jankar.
The fate of 204 candidates including Navnita Rana on these eight seats is sealed in EVMs. The machine has been sealed and counting will take place on June 4.
Voting percentage on eight seats
Wardha 56.66 percent
Akola 52.49 percent
Amravati 54.50 percent
buldhana 52.24 percent
Hingoli 52.03 percent
Nanded 52.47 percent
Parbh. 53.79 percent
Yavatmal-Wasim 54.04 percent
