4th phase of LS polls: 59.64 pc voter turnout in 11 seats in Maharashtra

Mumbai, May 14 (PTI) An average voter turnout of 59.64 per cent has been recorded in 11 of the 48 Lok Sabha constituencies in Maharashtra during polling in the fourth phase of general elections, as per the state poll authorities.

Polling was held on Monday in Nandurbar, Jalgaon, Raver, Jalna, Aurangabad, Maval, Pune, Shirur, Ahmednagar, Shirdi, and Beed seats.

The highest voter turnout was recorded in Beed and the lowest in Pune, as per official figures.

The 11 constituencies registered an average polling of 59.64 per cent, according to the data shared at around midnight on Monday by the office of the state's chief electoral officer.

The Beed Lok Sabha constituency recorded the highest 69.74 per cent polling, followed by Jalna 68.30 per cent, Nandurbar 67.12 per cent, Ahmednagar 62.76 per cent, Raver 61.36 per cent, Shirdi 61.13 per cent, Aurangabad 60.73 per cent, Jalgaon 53.65 per cent, Maval 52.90 per cent, Shirur 51.46 per cent and Pune 51.25 per cent.

Union minister Raosaheb Danve contested the poll from Jalna, BJP leader Pankaja Munde from Beed and actor-turned-politician Amol Kolhe from Shirur.

Three candidates are residents of places outside the constituency from where they contested.

BJP candidate from Ahmednagar, Sujay Vikhe Patil, lives in Loni, part of the Shirdi Lok Sabha seat, while Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi's Pune candidate Vasant More, lives in Katraj, part of the Shirur constituency.

Sandipan Bhumare, the nominee of the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena in Aurangabad, is a voter in Paithan, which is in the Jalna Lok Sabha constituency.

A total of 298 candidates were in the fray, with Beed having the highest number of 41 nominees and Nandurbar the lowest number at 11.

Altogether, 2.28 crore voters were eligible to participate in the fourth phase of the election in the state.

Maharashtra has 48 Lok Sabha seats, the second highest after 80 in Uttar Pradesh.

Polling has so far been held in 35 seats in Maharashtra.

The remaining 13 constituencies, including six in Mumbai, will vote in the fifth phase on May 20.

Votes will be counted on June 4. PTI ND GK