Maharashtra records 32.18 pc voting with bright spot Gadchiroli at over 50 pc

Mumbai, Nov 20 (IANS) Nearly 32.18 per cent voting was recorded in the 288 Assembly constituencies of Maharashtra till 1 p.m. Wednesday, said officials here, adding that the Maoist-affected Gadchiroli continued to record the highest polling at 50.89 per cent.

As per the office of the state Chief Electoral Officer, Ahmednagar recorded 32.90 per cent, Akola - 29.87, Amravati - 31.32, Aurangabad- 33.89, Beed - 32.58, Bhandara - 35.06, Buldhana - 32.91, Chandrapur - 35.54, Dhule - 34.05, Gadchiroli - 50.89, Gondia - 40.46, Hingoli - 35.97, Jalgaon - 27.88, Jalna - 36.42, Kolhapur - 38.56, Latur - 33.27, Mumbai City - 27.73, Mumbai suburbs - 30.43, Nagpur - 31.65, Nanded - 28.15, Nandurbar - 37.40, Nashik - 32.30, Osmanabad - 31.75, Palghar - 33.40, Parbhani - 33.12, Pune - 29.03, Raigad - 34.84, Ratnagiri - 38.52, Sangli - 33.50, Satara - 34.78, Sindhudurg - 38.34, Solapur - 29.44, Thane - 28.35, Wardha - 34.55, Washim - 29.31 and Yavatmal - 34.10 per cent.

In Ulhasnagar, BJP candidate Kumar Ailani was accused of distributing money. The Maharashtra Navnirman Sena candidate Bhagwan Bhalerao levelled charges against the BJP.

In the Thane constituency, the Shiv Sena(UBT) workers entered the office of the BJP nominee, Sanjay Kelkar, alleging that the party was engaged in campaigning through a demo EVM machine. They seized such machines. Tension prevailed for a while as workers from both parties came face to face.

CM Shinde supporter was caught by some MNS workers in Mumbia's Worli after they found that a fake letter bearing the signature of their chief, Raj Thackeray, went viral. The letter claimed that the MNS was supporting the Shinde nominee Milind Deora.

A veteran Communist leader Narsayya Adam, who is contesting from Solapur City Central, said, "I will not give up the red flag till I die, I will not surrender even if I die." His statement came after a letter went viral in which Adam purportedly extended his support to BJP nominee Devendra Kothe. Adam claimed the letter was fake and that he had lodged a complaint with the police and the Election Commission.

Even as allegations and fake letters were doing the rounds, voters trooped into the polling stations to exercise their franchise. In Buldhana, a 100-year-old woman, identified as Durgabai Chinchole, cast her vote happily.

Meanwhile, nearly 900 voters from Tembhurni village in Latur district boycotted the polling. The villagers demanded that a place be made available for the cemetery in the village. They argued that they have been demanding this for the last 25 years but no concrete step has been taken so far.

--IANS

sj/dpb