Maharashtra records 52.07% voting till 5 p.m. (3rd Lead)

A moderate voter turnout of 52.07 per cent was recorded in the fourth phase of polling for 17 Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra till 5 p.m. on Monday, an Election Commission (EC) official said.

The tribal Nandurbar (ST) constituency recorded the highest 62.44 per cent voter turnout, while Kalyan in Thane district saw the lowest 41.64 per cent turnout.

The other reserved constituencies -- Dindori (ST), Palghar (ST) and Shirdi (SC) -- also notched significantly higher voting percentages of 58.20, 57.60 and 56.10 per cent respectively, compared to the urban areas, as per the EC figures.

Of the six seats in the country's commercial capital, Mumbai North, where Bollywood actress Urmila Matondkar is pitted against BJP MP Gopal Shetty, notched the highest 54.72 per cent voter turnout.

The lowest turnout was 48.23 per cent in Mumbai South, where former Union Minister Milind M. Deora is contesting against Shiv Sena's Arvind G. Sawant.

The voting percentage in Mumbai's other constituencies was -- 52.30 per cent in Mumbai North East, 51.53 per cent in Mumbai South Central, 50.44 per cent in Mumbai North West and 49.49 per cent in Mumbai North Central.

Other urban, semi-urban centres like Bhiwandi and Thane recorded a dismal polling percentage. While Bhiwandi witnessed 48.90 per cent polling, in Thane -- which has the highest electorate -- only 46.42 per cent came out to vote.

Farmer-dominated rural-urban mix constituencies such as Nashik saw 53.09 per cent, Maval 52.74 per cent, Shirur 52.45 per cent and Dhule 50.97 per cent voting.

Though everyone from celebs to commoners sent out repeated appeals to people to step out and vote, high temperatures, coupled with extreme humidity, especially in the coastal constituencies, are being blamed for the poor voter turnout, which has alarmed the political parties.

The constituencies where voting is in the final stages are: Mumbai North, Mumbai North-West, Mumbai North-East, Mumbai North-Central, Mumbai South-Central, Mumbai South, Nandurbar, Dhule, Dindori, Nashik, Palghar, Bhiwandi, Kalyan, Thane, Maval, Shirur and Shirdi.

--IANS

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