Palghar, Bhandara-Gondia bypolls: Counting of votes tomorrow

Counting of votes for the crucial Palghar and Bhandara-Gondia Lok Sabha bypolls will be taken up tomorrow.

The results of these two LS seats are important for all four major political parties- BJP, Shiv Sena, Congress and NCP- as the outcome is likely to have a bearing on their future course.

"The counting of votes will start from 8 am in both the constituencies tomorrow. The final percentage of votes in Bhandara-Gondia will be revised late in the evening after the re-polling in 49 booths in the constituency gets over," an election officer said.

While 53.22 per cent of the 1.73 crore electorate exercised their franchise in Palghar, in Bhandara-Gondia, 53.15 per cent of the total 1.76 crore voters cast their votes on Monday.

The voting was marred by allegations of malfunctioning in electronic voting machines (EVMs).

The Election Commission (EC) yesterday ordered re-polling at 49 booths in five of the six assembly segments in Bhandara-Gondia Lok Sabha constituency (to be held) today, after allegations of malfunctioning of EVMs and VVPATs.

Former Union minister Praful Patel claimed that almost 25 per cent of EVMs malfunctioned in the bypoll to Bhandara-Gondia Lok Sabha seat, while Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut said those in power were contesting elections while keeping the "key and remote of EVMs in their hands".

Abhimanyu Kale, the district collector of Gondia, was transferred yesterday after the Lok Sabha bye-election there was marred by large scale complaints of malfunctioning of the EVMs.

An FIR was filed against a polling officer in Palghar as he transported some EVMs to the counting centre in a private car against norms, after voting for the Palghar Lok Sabha bypoll ended.

The by-election in Palghar was necessitated due to death of sitting BJP MP Chintaman Wanaga. The Bhandara-Gondia seat was vacated after BJP's Nana Patole resigned from the party and quit his Lok Sabha membership.

As many as 25 candidates were in the fray for the two LS seats- 18 in Bhandara-Gondia and seven in Palghar.

Both the seats are crucial for the BJP. The saffron party locked horns with the NCP to retain the Bhandara-Gondia seat, while in Palghar it is locked in a fierce battle with its estranged ally Shiv Sena, despite the contest being five-cornered.

Retaining Bhandara-Gondia is important for the BJP since its MP Nana Patole had quit the party in December 2017 and later joined the Congress. Stakes are also high in Palghar as Shiv Sena has fielded Sriniwas Wanaga, son of late BJP MP Chintaman Wanaga.

The BJP had roped in Union minister Smriti Irani Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for the campaign.

In Bhandara-Gondia, the NCP had fielded Madhukar Kukde, while the BJP had nominated Hemant Patle. Although there are total of 18 candidates in Bhandara-Gondia, the main contest is between the BJP and the NCP.

Congress leaders in the constituency are miffed that the party gave the seat to NCP despite Nana Patole returning to the Congress fold. Patole had defeated NCP leader Praful Patel in 2014. Patel has represented the seat earlier in the Lok Sabha.

The BJP represents five of the six assembly segments in the Lok Sabha constituency - Tumsar, Bhandara, Sakoli, Arjuni Morgaon, Tirora, while Gopaldas Agarwal of Congress represents Gondia.