@the_news_21
Mumbai: A tentative voting percentage of 64 percent was recorded in the by-election to the Pandharpur assembly constituency for which voting was held on Saturday. The voting percentage is likely to equal the 64.2 percent voting percentage during the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. However, in the 2019 Assembly elections later that year the constituency had recorded 69.47 percent voting.
The drop in voting percentage could be attributed to the Covid-19 pandemic scare, disenchantment amongst the voters and searing summer heat.
The voting hours were extended considering the Covid-19 pandemic situation as voting was held from 7.00 am in the morning to 7.00 pm in the evening, sources in the Election Commission of India (ECI) disclosed while speaking to thenews21.
Out of the total 3,40,884 voters in the Pandharpur assembly constituency, 1,78,190 are male voters, 1,62,694 were female voters and 5 voters were registered as Others (Transgenders). Polling was held across 98 polling booths across the constituency. Counting of votes and declaration of result will be held on May 2.
The assembly by-election was necessitated due to the demise of sitting Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) MLA Bharat Tukaram Bhalake recently.
Although there are 41 candidates in the by-poll fray, the main contest is between late Bharat Bhalake’s son Bhagirath Bharat Bhalake and Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) Samadhan Mahadeo Autade.
In the 2019 Assembly elections the Pandharpur assembly constituency had recorded 69.47 percent, whereas in the Lok Sabha elections held earlier in the same year the voting percentage was 64.2 percent.
In the 2019 Assembly elections late Bharat Bhalake (NCP) had defeated his nearest BJP rival Sudhakar Paricharak by a margin of 13,311 votes. Bhalake had polled 89,787 votes, while Paricharak had polled 76,476 votes. Whereas, Samadhan Autade who had contested the elections then as an Independent candidate had polled 54,124 votes. The difference between Bhalake and Autade’s vote share was 35,663 votes.
