New Delhi: Maharashtra municipal polls conclude with 47% turnout, counting on Sunday
As the voting for posts of president and municipal council and nagar panchayats members across Maharashtra drew an end on Saturday, the state awaits for the counting of votes tomorrow.
The voting, which concluded at around 5.30 pm, included posts within 23 municipal councils and nagar panchayats as well as 143 vacant ones, reported news agency PTI.
Casting of votes began at 7.30 am and the voter turnout was recorded to be 47.04 percent till afternoon, the state election commission said.
In Nashik, while Sinnar, Ozar and Chandwad recorded 49.47 percent voting, an incident comprising malpractice was reported as well. In Sinnar’s ward number 2, a 25-year-old man, who attempted to vote by impersonating his brother using a fake Aadhaar card was taken into custody.
This time, elections in the Dondaicha municipal council and Angar nagar panchayat went unopposed, along with the polls for the selection of the Jammer municipal president also being a no-contest affair. The elections also saw ruling alliance partners, including the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, and Ajit Pawar’s NCP, contesting against each other.
The poll battle also witnessed the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance and opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) locking horns, interspersed by friendly fights amid the alliances.
Earlier this month, the Maharashtra state election commission had postponed local elections in Baramati and five other councils to December 20 due to late court rulings. The revised polling date for the affected councils and wards was then set for December 20.
In the first phase of elections on December 2, votes were cast for 263 municipal councils and nagar panchayats.
The second phase of voting included prominent local bodies like Baramati in Pune district and Ambernath in Thane district.
Counting of votes for all 286 municipal councils and nagar panchayats, including those that went to polls during the first phase on December 2, will begin at 10 am on December 21, stated the state election commission.
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