The Election Commission successfully conducted a logistical feat to ensure smooth proceedings for 160 voters at the picturesque Raireshwar Fort, nestled at a staggering altitude of 4,491 feet, the highest polling booth in the Baramati constituency during the third phase of Lok Sabha polls on May 7.
Situated 30 kilometres from Bhor taluka in Pune rural, the polling party drove to the foothills of Raireshwar to reach the polling station. From there, a further 18 km journey via Rairi village led to the base of Raireshwar, where polling teams undertook an arduous one-hour trek aided by an iron ladder to reach the polling station.
Braving the difficult terrain, election staff and officers were mobilized to trek to the fort, equipped with essential voting machinery including Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), control units, and Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) devices. Despite the challenging conditions, polling staff successfully transported all necessary materials to the polling station, ensuring that every eligible voter could exercise their democratic right.
Across the district and state, poll workers faced various hurdles in encouraging citizens to participate in this fundamental aspect of democracy for the success of the Lok Sabha elections. Negotiating the rugged path to Raireshwar, the team’s determination in traversing the iron ladder exemplified their commitment to upholding the democratic process, even in the most challenging environments.
According to Maharashtra Tourism, Raireshwar is a historically significant hill fort situated at a height of 4,505 feet above sea level. The Raireshwar polling booth falls under the Baramati constituency, which comprises six assembly seats (Indapur, Baramati, Purandar, Bhor, Khadakwasla, and Daund).
Notably, the country witnessed the third phase of polling on May 7, with a voter turnout of approximately 60.97 percent across the 11 States/Union Territories, as per data issued by the Election Commission of India (ECI). Assam recorded the highest voter turnout of 75.01 percent, while Maharashtra recorded the lowest at 53.95 percent.
With its 48 Lok Sabha seats, Maharashtra is the second-largest contributor to the lower house of Parliament. The states and union territories where elections were held in the third phase included Maharashtra (11), Assam (4), Bihar (5), Chhattisgarh (7), Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu (2), Goa (2), Gujarat (25), Karnataka (14), Madhya Pradesh (8), Uttar Pradesh (10), and West Bengal (4). The BJP has bagged the Surat seat unopposed.
(Inputs from ANI)