LS polls: 35.4 pc voter turnout in Maha till 1 pm

An average 35.4 per cent polling was recorded till 1 pm in 10 constituencies of Maharashtra where polling was underway in the second phase of Lok Sabha elections on Thursday, an official said.

According to the state election office, Nanded Lok Sabha seat witnessed 38.19 per cent polling in six hours since the commencement of polling at 7 am, while 37.95 per cent electorate cast their votes in Parbhani.

Besides, Hingoli recorded 37.44 per cent voting, followed by Latur-36.82 per cent, Osmanabad-34.94 per cent, Beed-34.65 per cent, Akola-34.46 per cent, Buldhana-34.43 per cent, Amravati-33.68 per cent and Solapur-31.56 per cent.

In Nanded, there were complaints of malfunctioning of 78 electronic voting machines (EVMs).

A total of 179 candidates are in the fray in the 10 constituencies.

Beed constituency has the maximum number of 36 contestants while 10 candidates are contesting from Latur.

Prominent candidates in the fray are senior Congress leaders and former chief ministers Ashok Chavan and Sushilkumar Shinde, who are contesting from Nanded and Solapur seats, respectively.

In Beed, the home constituency of late BJP leader Gopinath Munde, his daughter Pritam Munde is seeking another term. She is facing Bajrang Sonawane of the NCP.