The elections to the Assemblies of Maharashtra and Haryana on Monday saw the voter turnout dip in comparison to the 2014 polls, according to provisional numbers shared by the Election Commission of India.
At a press conference held at the ECI headquarters in New Delhi, Deputy Election Commissioners Chandra Bhushan and Sandeep Saxena said the turnouts for Maharashtra and Haryana were 60.5% and 65% respectively. In the 2014 Maharashtra elections, 63.08% had cast their votes, Mr. Bhushan said. In Haryana, the turnout had been 76.54% in 2014, Mr. Saxena said. Both officials, said the turnout in Monday’s elections could go up as the final figures were yet to come in.
Sporadic incidents
Speaking of the two State elections as well as the byelections to 51 Assembly seats across the country and two Lok Sabha constituencies – Samastipur in Bihar and Satara in Maharashtra – senior DEC Umesh Sinha said the polling had been “peaceful and smooth”, “barring a few sporadic incidents.”
He added that record seizures of cash and liquor were made in the two States. ECI data showed that cash, liquor, narcotics, precious metals and other freebies worth ₹24.17 crore and ₹156.94 crore were seized in Haryana and Maharashtra respectively.
“The turnout in Haryana is estimated at 65%. Fatehabad district recorded 74.49%. The least polling was seen in Gurugram district at 52.5%,” Inder Jeet, Haryana’s Joint Chief Electoral Officer, told The Hindu .
Polling across Haryana was by and large peaceful, barring minor clashes in Nuh, Rohtak and Narnaul districts. Haryana Additional Director-General of Police (Law-Order) Navdeep Singh Virk said: “In all, 12 FIRs have been registered so far. There were two incidents of firing, seven people were reported injured. There were no deaths.”
Haryana Director General of Police Manoj Yadava said half a dozen clashes outside polling booths were reported from Rohtak and Nuh districts.
As many as 1,169 candidates, including 105 women, are contesting the election for the 90 Assembly constituencies in the State.
Maharashtra registered a lower voter turnout than last time with only 60.46% polling compared to 63.08 % recorded in 2014, according to Baldev Singh, Chief Electoral Officer of the State.
The State capital too registered a drop in the voting percentage with Mumbai City recording only 46.42% turnout. In 2014, a total of 36 Assembly constituencies registered 51.21% turnout while in 2009 it was 45.7%.
Karvir constituency in Kolhapur district registered the highest turnout with 83.20% while the upmarket Colaba in south Mumbai registered the lowest turnout of 40.20%. In the Satara Lok Sabha by-poll, 64.25% polling was recorded.
