Nagpur News.
The voting process for the long going poll battle is finally over in Vidarbha, locking the fate of candidates in electronic voting machines till all the voting phases are done. The trend in Nagpur is slightly up as far voter turnout is concerned but that was exactly not what was earlier anticipated. Only 57.30% of the voters preferred to vote this election while rest remained away from polling booths. Interestingly, a sizeable chunk of voters were willing to vote but had to left the polling booth in deject without being able to cast the ballot, thanks to the irregular listings by Election Commission officials who carelessly missed the names of many old time voters, leave along the first timers. The total voter turnout marked 11% rise in voting as compared to the net turnout of 43.60% during 2009 elections. Of the total of 18,99,400 voters in Nagpur city, only 9,23,468 voters cast their votes till 5 pm. The neighbouring Ramtek constituency remained slightly upward from Nagpur at 62%, almost the same rise of 11% from 50.88% voting it witnessed during last Lok Sabha elections.
A total of 33 candidates are in fray from Nagpur constituency including 21 Independents. The prominent candidates are former national BJP president Nitin Gadkari, sitting Congress MP Vilas Muttemwar, Dr Mohan Gaikwad of Bahujan Samaj Party and state convenor of Aam Aadmi Party Anjali Damania among others. Now the candidates as well as the voters would eagerly await the poll outcome slated to come after counting to be done in Kalamna on May 16.
All EVMs were transported to Kalamna market yard till late in the night after the polling ended.
The 16th Lok Sabha polls were conducted in a peaceful manner, barring a couple of incidents, amid heavy police bandobast. Dysfunctional EVMs caused minor disruptions at some of the polling booths and the haphazard voting lists saw many names missing from them. Deputy district returning officer Pradeep Dange informed that the dysfunctional EVMs were replaced in some places. The toll free number too was not working, laying bare the tall claims of the administration, which was also unable to disclose the total voter turnout assembly-segment wise at the end of the day.
The assembly segment-wise percentage of voting recorded in Nagpur constituency up to 5 pm is: North – 43.99, South – 50.17, East – 52.14, West – 49.96, Central – 47.36 and South West – 48.11.
Voting percentage in Ramtek constituency
(assembly segment-wise)
Katol 60.78
Saoner 50.16
