Council polls see 72% turnout

Mumbai: The election for the five council seats that went to polls on Monday witnessed a 72% voter turnout. The three teachers’ constituencies saw a whopping 86 to 91 voting per cent, while two graduate constituencies saw around 49% voter turnout each.

Amravati and Nashik graduates’ constituencies recorded 49.67% (out of 1,85,335) and 49.28% (out of 2,60,429) turnouts respectively. Meanwhile, teachers’ constituencies in Aurangabad, Nagpur and Konkan recorded 86% (out of 61,528), 86.23% (out of 39,413) and 91.02% (out of 37,731) respectively.

The election for the five council seats was in limelight because of various factors, including a rebellion by a Congress candidate, demand for the old pension schemes by various teachers’ organisations and the lack of coordination within Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA).

In Amravati, former state minister and BJP leader Ranjit Patil are pitted against Dheeraj Lingade of MVA, while the fight is between Satyajeet Tambe (independent) and MVA-supported Shumbhagi Patil in Nashik. Satyajeet emerged as an independent candidate in Nashik after his father and Congress’ sitting MLC Sudhir Tambe refused to be the party candidate. The rebellion not only left Congress red-faced but also saw upheaval within MVA. By interchanging the Nashik graduate constituency with the Nagpur teachers’ constituency between Shiv Sena (UBT) and Congress, MVA supported independents in the respective constituencies.

In the Konkan teachers’ constituency, Peasant and Workers Party nominee backed by MVA Balaram Patil has been pitted against BJP’s Dnyaneshwar Mhatre. In the Nagpur teachers’ constituency, BJP had supported Maharashtra Rajya Shikshak Parishad’s nominee Nago Ganar, while MVA had backed Vidarbha Madhyamik Shikshak Sangh’s Sudhakar Adbale. NCP’s sitting MLC Vikram Kale is facing BJP’s Kiran Patil in Aurangabad.

The counting of the votes will take place on February 2.