Maharashtra Lok Sabha Elections 2019: Phase I Polling Concludes, Over 55 Percent Voters Exercise Franchise

Mumbai, April 11: Polling for the first phase of 2019 Lok Sabha elections ended at 5 pm in Maharashtra. Voting, which began at 8 am, was held in 7 constituencies of Maharashtra – Wardha, Ramtek, Nagpur, Bhandara-Gondiya, Gadchiroli-Chimur, Chandrapur, Yavatmal-Washim. 55.78 percent electorate exercised their franchise during the polling till 5 pm. The state of Maharashtra will witness polling on its 48 Lok Sabha seats in a total of five phases. An IED blast was also reported near a polling booth in Etapalli in Gadchiroli. Union Minister Nitin Gadkari also cast his vote in Nagpur. Maharashtra Lok Sabha Elections 2019 Dates: Constituency-Wise Complete Schedule Of Voting And Results For General Elections.

Maharashtra has always been a stronghold state for the Indian National Congress (INC) and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) in the last many decades. However, the emergence of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Shiv Sena (SS) in the mid-90s in the state has changed its political dynamics. Yavatmal–Washim Lok Sabha Constituency in Maharashtra: Candidates, Current MP, Polling Date And Election Results 2019.

Riding high on the ‘Modi Wave’ in 2014 Lok Sabha Elections, the combine of BJP-SS won a staggering total of 41 seats between them. The NCP managed to win only 4 seats, whereas Congress could barely secure two seats. In the Assembly Elections that took place, a year later too, it was all BJP-Sena show.

However, things have changed a lot since then. The BJP-Sena alliance of 25 years was on the verge of split just ahead of General Elections 2019. The things, however, worked out well and the two parties will be contesting together. On the other hand, the Congress-led UPA alliance had a rather smooth sail.

In the first phase of Maharashtra Lok Sabha Elections 2019, there are over 116 candidates who will be in fray. BJP’s senior leaders Nitin Gadkari and Hansraj Gangaram Ahir are the key candidates who’ll be contesting in the first phase of elections.

The Election Commission had earlier made an announcement that Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) will be used in all polling stations across-India and the voters will be able to see whom have they voted for, through Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPATs).

There are over 1.30 crore voters eligible to vote in these 7 constituencies in the first phase. A total of 14,919 polling centres are set up for the smooth conduction of the polls in the parliamentary constituencies. Over 20,000 VVPAT machines will be used, and over 70,000 employees are deployed in the first phase of elections in Maharashtra.

Along with Maharashtra, people in Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar Chhattisgarh, Jammu and Kashmir, Lakshadweep, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Odisha, Sikkim, Telangana, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and West Bengal will also be voting today.

The ECI, a month earlier on March 10, announced that the 2019 General Elections 2019 will take place in seven phases. The voting in the first phase of Elections 2019 has begun today, whereas the last round of polling on May 19. The results will be announced on May 23. Stay tuned to LatestLY for all the latest updates of Lok Sabha Elections 2019.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 11, 2019 07:02 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).