Mumbai: Polling for five parliamentary seats in Maharashtra ended at 6 PM as the country started its 7-phase electoral exercise to elect the 18th Lok Sabha. 55.29 per cent of votes were polled in Maharashtra till 7 PM.
More than 95 lakh voters are eligible to exercise their franchise in the first phase of Lok Sabha polls covering five constituencies, where 97 candidates, including Union Minister Nitin Gadkari of the BJP, are in the fray. Maharashtra, which has 48 Lok Sabha seats, the second highest after Uttar Pradesh, will vote in five phases.
Here are all the updates throughout the day:
- 7.12 PM
The voter turnout in Maharashtra was recorded at 55.29 per cent up to 7 PM. The voter turnout in Gadchiroli-Chimur was the highest at 66.27 per cent, while the voter turnout was lowest in Nagpur at 49.07 per cent. The voter turnout in Ramtek was 52.38 per cent, while 56.87 per cent votes were polled in Bhandara-Gondia. The voter turnout in Chandrapur was recorded at 55.11 per cent till 7 PM. - 5.42 PM
The voter turnout in Maharashtra till 5 PM was 54.65 per cent. The voter turnout in Gadchiroli-Chimur was the highest at 64.95 per cent, while the voter turnout was lowest in Nagpur at 47.91 per cent. The voter turnout in Ramtek was 52.38 per cent, while 56.97 per cent votes were polled in Bhandara-Gondia till 5 PM. The voter turnout in Chandrapur was recorded at 55.11 per cent till 5 PM. - 3.35 PM
The voter turnout in Maharashtra till 3 PM was 44.12 per cent. - 3.07 PM
Congress workers protested at a polling booth at Hindi City High School after they found cross marks in front of the name of the party's candidate from Chandrapur Pratibha Dhanorkar. Congress workers raised slogans against BJP candidate and Maharashtra Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar. - 2.57 PM
A 111-year-old woman Fulmati Vinod Sarkar exercised her franchise in Mulichera tehsil. - 1.58 PM
32.36 per cent of votes were polled in Maharashtra till 1 PM. Voting is underway in five Lok Sabha in the state. - 1.18 PM
BJP leader and Maharashtra Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar, who is contesting the polls from Chandrapur seat, cast his vote. - 12.54 PM
Former Union Minister and Chairman of the National Commission for Backward Classes Hansraj Ahir cast his vote for the Lok Sabha polls. - 12.29 PM
Maharashtra Congress Pradesh Committee (MPCC) chief Nana Patole cast his vote at his native village Sakuli in the Bhandara district of Maharashtra. His family members also exercised their franchise. - 12.13 PM
A snake was found inside a polling booth in the Nagpur constituency. This created a panic for a while among the voters. - 11.42 AM
19.17 per cent polling was recorded in Maharashtra till 11 AM. The highest voting turnout so far was recorded in Gadchiroli-Chimur at 24.88 per cent while the lowest turnout was recorded in the Ramtek constituency at 16.14 per cent. - 10.56 AM
The world's smallest living woman, Jyoti Amge cast her vote at a polling booth in Nagpur. - 10.54 AM
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis cast his vote along with his wife Amruta and his mother Sarita Fadnavis at a polling station in Nagpur. Fadnavis urged all voters to exercise their franchise. "Everyone should vote and take part in this festive of democracy," Fadnavis told reporters. - 10.38 AM
Former Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh cast his vote along with his wife at his native village Vadvihara. Senior Congress leader and former Lok Sabha member Mukul Wasnik also exercised his franchise. Nagpur Police Commissioner Dr Ravindra Singhal also cast his vote and participated in the festival of democracy. - 10.17 AM
MLA Narendra Bhondekar, who represents the Bhandara constituency exercised his franchise, with her wife and his mother. - 10.01 AM
Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader and former Union Minister Praful Patel cast his vote at a polling booth in Gondia. 7.22 per cent of polling was recorded in the Bhandara-Gondia constituency. "The mood of the nation is for development. The mood of the nation is for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership. All the schemes that he has promised in the last ten years, he has delivered. The country has become a vibrant nation. There will always be problems. You cannot say that all problems have been solved but the direction is to solve the problems and to overcome them. This is a big change," Praful Patel told news agency ANI. - 9.58 AM
Maharashtra BJP chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule cast his vote. In a post on X, Bawankule said, "Voting is your not only a right it is a national duty. I played it, you too come to vote and let's build a new India." - 9.51 AM
Nagpur recorded 6.41 per cent polling till 9 AM. Due to the rising heat, people flocked to the polling booths in the morning. Chndrapur recorded 7.44 per cent polling till 9 AM. - 9.30 AM
Senior BJP leader and Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, who is in the fray from Nagpur, expressed confidence that he will win the polls. "We are celebrating the festival of democracy today. Everyone should vote, this is our fundamental right as well as duty. You can vote for anyone but casting your vote is important. I am 101 per cent confident that I will win by a good margin," Gadkari told news agency ANI. - 9.24 AM
Congress candidate from Chandrapur Pratibha Dhanorkar cast her vote on Friday morning. She turned emotional while exercising her franchise. Pratibha is the wife of late Suresh Dhanorkar, who was the only Congress MP elected from Maharashtra in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. Pratibha is up against senior BJP leader and Maharashtra Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar. - 9.20 AM
Congress candidate from Nagpur Vikas Thakre exercised his franchise along with his family members. Thakre is up against BJP heavyweight Nitin Gadkari, who is a sitting Union Minister and a tall leader of the saffron party. - 7.30 AM
Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat cast his vote as soon as the voting began on Friday in Nagpur. There is a direct fight between senior BJP leader Gadkari, who is seeking a third term, and Congress candidate Vikas Thakre in Nagpur. The high-profile constituency, which houses the RSS headquarters, has a total of 22,18,259 voters -- 11,10, 840 male, 11,07,197 female and 222 transgender persons. - 7.00 AM
Voting begins in all the five seats of Maharashtra.
Constituencies
Polling will be held in the constituencies of Nagpur, Ramtek (SC), Bhandara-Gondia, Chandrapur and Naxal-hit Gadchiroli-Chimur (ST), all located in eastern-most parts of the state. There are 95,54,667 voters in the five Lok Sabha constituencies in the Vidarbha region where voting will take place on Friday. Of these, 48,28,142 are male, 47,26,178 female and 347 transgenders voters, according to the state electoral office in Mumbai on Wednesday.
Key candidates
In Nagpur, a direct fight is on cards between Gadkari, who is seeking a third term, and Congress candidate Vikas Thakre. The high-profile constituency, which houses the RSS headquarters, has a total of 22,18,259 voters -- 11,10, 840 males, 11,07,197 females and 222 transgender persons.
In Chandrapur, BJP candidate and Maharashtra minister Sudhir Mungantiwar is facing Congress nominee Pratibha Dhanorkar, wife of late parliamentarian Suresh Dhanorkar, who was the lone MP from the grand old party to be elected to the Lok Sabha from Maharashtra in 2019 from the seat. The Congress MP (47) died last year. Chandrapur has a total of 18,36,314 voters, including 9,45,026 males and 8,91,240 females.
In Bhandara-Gondia, the BJP has fielded sitting MP Sunil Mendhe, who is pitted against Congress candidate Dr Prashant Patole. Bhandara-Gondia has a total of 18,75,106 voters (9,36,041 males, 9,39,056 females and 12 transgenders).
Two-time Lok Sabha MP of BJP, Ashok Nete, is contesting against Congress nominee Dr Namdev Kirsan in Gadchiroli-Chimur (ST), where some areas are affected by Naxal insurgency. In the 2019 elections, Nete defeated Congress candidate Dr Namdev Usendi. The constituency has 16,12,930 voters (8,11,836 males, 8,01,082 females and 12 transgenders).
In Ramtek (SC), the fight is between Shyamkumar Barwe of the Congress and Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena's candidate Raju Parwe. The constituency has a total of 20,45,717 voters (10,43,266 males, 10,02,396 females and 55 transgenders).
Voting between 7 am and 3 pm in Naxal-hit constituencies
The statement from the state electoral office said five assembly segments (spread across two Lok Sabha seats, including Naxal-hit Gadchiroli-Chimur), will vote between 7 am and 3 pm, unlike other areas where voters can exercise their franchise until 6 pm.
"The assembly segments of Amgaon, Armori, Gadchiroli and Aheri (Gadchiroli-Chimur Lok Sabha constituency) and Arjune Morgaon (Bhandara-Gondia LS seat) will have voting between 7 am and 3 pm. This decision has been taken because most of the voting booths in these segments are located in remote locations, and the region is known for Naxalite activities," said a poll official.
Gadchiroli-Chimur is the largest parliamentary constituency in the state, chiefly because its remote villages are separated by vast dense forest regions. This Lok Sabha constituency consists of the Amgaon assembly segment from Gondia district, Armori, Gadchiroli, and Aheri segments from Gadchiroli district, and Bramhapuri and Chimur segments from Chandrapur district.
