LS polls: 52.07 pc voter turnout till 5 pm in Maharashtra

An average 52.07 per cent voter turnout was recorded till 5 pm in 17 seats in Maharashtra in the fourth and last phase of Lok Sabha polls in the state Monday, election officials said.

Long queues were seen in some areas such as Powai and Chanidwali in Mumbai where voting process had slowed down.

Outside Mumbai, where turnout has been high, officials had to refute rumours including those of withdrawal of a candidate and technical glitches in Electronic Voting Machines, said an Election Commission (EC) official.

The voting hours are 7 am to 6 pm.

Till 5 pm, Nandurbar seat in North Maharashtra had recorded the highest 64.44 per cent voting while Kalyan near Mumbai saw the lowest 41.64 per cent polling.

Voting figures till 5 pm elsewhere were: Dhule-50.97 per cent, Dindori- 58.20 per cent, Nashik- 53.09 per cent, Palghar- 57.60 per cent, Bhiwandi 48.90 per cent, Thane- 46.42 per cent, Mumbai North- 54.72 per cent, Mumbai North West 50.44 per cent, Mumbai North East- 52.30 per cent, Mumbai North Central- 49.49 per cent, Mumbai South Central- 51.53 per cent, Mumbai South- 48.23 per cent, Maval- 52.74 per cent, Shirur- 52.45 per cent and Shirdi- 56.19 per cent.

The 17 seats are spread across Mumbai metropolitan region and parts of northern and western Maharashtra, with some 3.11 crore voters, and 323 candidates in the fray .