71.87 percent turnout for Legislative Council Elections

The average voter turnout was 71.87 percent till 6 pm in the four constituencies of Vidhan Parishad namely Mumbai Graduates and Teachers, Konkan Graduates and Nashik Teachers. The Chief Electoral Officer of the state said that the voting process was conducted smoothly.

The Chief Electoral Officer stated that the voter turnout was 63 percent in Konkan graduate constituency, 56 percent in Mumbai graduate constituency, 75 percent in Mumbai teachers constituency and 93.48 percent in Nashik division teachers constituency. As this election was held on a Wednesday i.e. an office working day, the candidates were faced with the challenge of bringing the voters to the polling stations.

Nashik Teacher Constituency had the highest polling. Anil Parab of the Shiv Sena Thackeray group and Kiran Shelar of the BJP were pitted against each other in the Mumbai Graduate Constituency. There are around one and a half lakh voters in Mumbai Graduate Constituency. The Thackeray group has a big challenge to retain this constituency, which has been held by the Shiv Sena for the last 30 years. This year, BJP has put all its systems in Mumbai to work for BJP's Kiran Shelar. The Shiv Sena Thackeray faction ordered eligible voters to come to vote from all its branches in Mumbai.

Lok Bharati's Subhash More, Shiv Sena Thackeray's J Mo Abhyankar, BJP’s Shivnath Darade, NCP’s Ajit Pawar's Shivajirao Nalavde, Shinde's Shivaji Shendge are in the fray in the Mumbai teachers constituency. In this constituency, which has about 15 thousand voters, the candidate with more registrations always has a chance to win.

In Konkan Graduate Constituency, BJP's existing MLA Niranjan Davkhare and Congress's Ramesh Keer were pitted against each other. There are about two and a half lakh voters in this constituency spread over five districts namely Thane, Palghar, Raigad, Ratnagiri, Sindhudurg. About one lakh of these voters are from Thane district. In the Nashik Teacher Constituency, the Shiv Sena Thackeray group accused the Shinde group of misuse of power.

Current political situation

• Mumbai graduate – Shiv Sena Thackeray group
• Mumbai Teacher – Lokbharti
• Konkan Graduate – BJP
• Nashik Teacher – Independent (Shinde Group)