Maharashtra recorded a voter turnout of 6.61 percent by 9 am on Wednesday in the single-phase assembly elections that began earlier this morning, while Jharkhand recorded a voter turnout of 12.71 percent by the same time in the second phase of its assembly elections, according to the Election Commission of India.
As per the polling body’s data, the Naxal-hit district of Gadchiroli in Maharashtra recorded the highest voter turnout at 12.33 percent, while Osmanabad recorded the lowest turnout at 4.85 percent by 9 am.
In Mumbai, the voter turnout was 6.25 percent, while Mumbai Suburban saw a turnout of 7.88 percent. Other districts recorded the following turnouts: Nagpur 6.86 percent, Thane 6.66 percent, Aurangabad 7.05 percent, Pune 5.53 percent, Nashik 6.89 percent, Jalgaon 5.85 percent, Satara 5.14 percent, Kolhapur 7.38 percent, Dhule 6.79 percent, Palghar 7.30 percent, Nanded 5.42 percent, Ratnagiri 9.30 percent, and Latur 5.91 percent.
The Dharavi constituency recorded a turnout of 4.71 percent, Sion-Koliwada 6.52 percent, Wadala 6.44 percent, Mahim 8.14 percent, Worli 3.78 percent, Sewri 6.12 percent, Baikal 7.09 percent, Malabar Hill 8.31 percent, Mumbadevi 6.34 percent, and Colaba 5.3 percent by 9 am.
According to the Election Commission of India, voter turnout in Jharkhand’s districts by 9 am was as follows: Deoghar 14.24 percent, Dhanbad 12.76 percent, Dumka 14.48 percent, Giridih 12.69 percent, Hazaribagh 14.02 percent, Jamtara 14.90 percent, Ramgarh 15.87 percent, Ranchi 16.00 percent, and Sahebganj 14.17 percent.
Maharashtra BJP President and party candidate from Kamthi, Chandrashekhar Bawankule, urged voters to turn out in large numbers. He said, “I appeal to the people of Maharashtra to come out and cast their votes in large numbers. I expect 100 percent voting today. The elected government will work for 14 crore people of the state for the next five years. Vindo Tawde is being defamed by wrong means. It is a planned conspiracy to trap Vinod Tawde. The Election Commission will clear everything.”
Meanwhile, Jharkhand BJP Chief Babulal Marandi expressed confidence, saying that the BJP-NDA alliance would secure more than 51 seats in the elections and form the government, as the people were dissatisfied with the ruling Hemant Soren-led JMM party.
Voting began at 7 am on Wednesday for the single-phase Maharashtra assembly elections, covering 288 seats, and the second phase of the Jharkhand assembly elections, covering the remaining 38 seats.
(ANI)