Voting in 3rd phase in Maha could reach 61 pc: official

An average 57.01 per cent turnout was recorded at the end of voting hours across 14 Lok Sabha constituencies in Maharashtra Tuesday, with an election official estimating that it may reach 61.30 per cent after all data comes.

A case was registered against a voter for making a baseless complaint about a glitch in EVM, while another case was registered when a video of voting was found uploaded on social media app TikTok.

Dilip Shinde, additional chief electoral officer, told reporters that polling was still on at some centres and the trend suggested that average voting in the state in the third phase of general elections will be 61.30 percent.

 

"Average voting in these constituencies in 2014 was 62.88 per cent," he added.

The final voting percentage in the first and second phase of the Lok Sabha elections in Maharashtra was 63.04 and 62.88 per cent, Shinde said.

The polling began at 7 am and ended at 5 pm.

As of 5 pm, Kolhapur Lok Sabha constituency had recorded 65.70 per cent voting, followed by Hatkanangale at 64.79 per cent.

The voting figures in other constituencies at 5 pm were as follows: Jalgaon 52.28 per cent, Raver 56.98 per cent, Jalna 59.92 per cent, Aurangabad 58.52 per cent, Raigad 56.14 per cent, Pune 43.63 per cent, Baramati 55.84 per cent, Ahmednagar 57.75 per cent, Madha 56.41 per cent, Sangli 59.39 per cent, Satara 55.40 per cent and Ratnagiri-Sindhudurg 57.63 per cent.

State BJP president Raosaheb Danve (Jalna) and NCP chief Sharad Pawar's daughter Supriya Sule (Baramati) are among the prominent candidates in the fray. P

The Election Commission lodged a complaint against a person in Bhusaval town under the Raver Lok Sabha seat for a false complaint about his vote going to the wrong candidate.

"A complaint was filed with the local police station against Amol Surwade who claimed that he pressed the button of his choice on EVM but his vote went to another party. A mock poll was performed to verify the claim. The machine was functioning properly. The local election office invoked charges under IPC section 177 (furnishing false information) against Surwade," Shinde said.

A case was also registered at Aurangabad, after a video of voting was found on social media app TikTok, and the search was on for the person who uploaded it, he said.