LS polls: 42.03 pc voter turnout till 3 pm in Maharashtra

An average 42.03 per cent voter turnout was recorded till 3 pm in Maharashtra's 17 seats on Monday as polling for the fourth and last phase of Lok Sabha elections is underway.

Long queues were seen in some areas of Mumbai like Powai and Chanidwali as voting was being recorded slowly.

The situation was different outside Mumbai where turnout has been high.

However, local election officers had to issue clarifications on rumours ranging from withdrawal of a candidate to technical glitches, said an ECI official.

So far, Nandurbar Lok Sabha constituency in north Maharashtra has recorded the highest polling at 51.96 per cent while Kalyan constituency near Mumbai saw the lowest voter turnout of 33.77 per cent, according to an official statement.

The voting figures till 3 pm in other constituencies are as follows: Dhule- 40.63 per cent, Dindori- 46.13 per cent, Nashik- 41.72 per cent, Palghar- 46.77 per cent, Bhiwandi- 39.35 per cent, Thane- 38.52 per cent, Mumbai North- 44.65 per cent, Mumbai North West- 40.53 per cent, Mumbai North East- 43.12 per cent, Mumbai North Central- 39.84 per cent, Mumbai South Central- 41.09 per cent, Mumbai South- 38.76 per cent, Maval- 42.32 per cent, Shirur- 41.48 per cent and Shirdi- 45.48 per cent.

As many as 3.11 crore voters spread across the Mumbai metropolitan region and northern and western Maharashtra are eligible to exercise their franchise to decide the fate of 323 candidates in the fray in these 17 seats.

Around 40 polling booths in these constituencies, including 26 in suburban Mumbai, are being managed women.