LS polls: 62.37 pc polling in Maha in third phase

An average 62.37 per cent voter turnout was recorded across 14 seats in Maharashtra where polling for the third phase of Lok Sabha elections took place on Tuesday, as per the final figures released by the state election office.

In the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, the average polling across these seats was 62.88 per cent, an election official said on Wednesday.

Polling was held on Tuesday in Jalgaon, Raver (north Maharashtra), Jalna, Aurangabad (Marathwada), Raigad, Ratnagiri-Sindhudurg (Konkan), Pune, Baramati, Madha, Sangli, Satara, Kolhapur, Hatkanangale (western Maharashtra) and Ahmednagar seats.

Kolhapur recorded the highest voter turnout at 70.7 per cent, followed by Hatkanangale, where 70.28 per cent polling was recorded, the official said.

The constituencies of Baramati, Aurangabad, Ahmednagar, Madha, Sangli and Satara this time saw more voter turnout as compared to the 2014 general elections, according to the official figures.

This time, Jalgaon recorded 56.12 per cent polling against 58 per cent in 2014, while Raver saw 61.40 per cent voter turnout as compared to 63.48 per cent last time.

In Jalna, there was 64.55 per cent voting against 66.15 per cent last time, while in Aurangabad it was 63.41 per cent as compared to 61.85 per cent five years ago.

In Raigad, where Union minister Anant Geete is the Shiv Sena's nominee, 61.81 per cent of the electorate exercised their franchise against 64.47 per cent in 2014.

In Pune, where BJP's Girish Bapat is pitted against Congress' Mohan Joshi, around 49.84 per cent voter turnout has been recorded against 54.14 per cent in the last polls.

In Baramati, where NCP chief Sharad Pawar's daughter Supriya Sule is fighting against BJP's Kanchan Kul, 61.54 voter turnout has been recorded as compared to 58.83 per cent last time.

In Ahmednagar, where BJP's Sujay Vikhe Patil is contesting against NCP's Sangram Jagtap, there has been 64.26 per cent polling against 62.33 per cent last time.

Madha this time recorded 63.58 per cent polling against 62.53 per cent in 2014, Sangli-65.44 per cent against 63.52 five years back, Satara -60.37 per cent against 56.79 per cent last time, Ratnagiri-Sindhudurg-61.69 per cent against the previous 65.56 per cent, Kolhapur-70.7 per cent as compared to 71.72 per cent last time and Hatkanangale-70.28 per cent against 73 per cent in 2014.