Mumbai, May 13 (UNI) Polling began amid tight security in 11 parliamentary constituencies of Maharashtra on Monday in the fourth phase of general elections.
Voters of five seats of western Maharashtra, three of north Maharashtra and the remaining of Marathwada region began polling at 7 am to decide the electoral fate of 298 candidates, official sources said.
Maval, Pune, Shirur, Ahmednagar, Shirdi, Nandurbar, Jalgaon, Raver, Jalna, Aurangabad and Beed will vote till 6 pm, barring a few that will end polling at 4pm.
Tremendous response from voters has been seen across almost all polling booths.
There are over 2.28 crore voters comprising above 1.18 crore males, around 1.09 crore females, and 1,272 transgender persons.
The ECI has set up a total of 23,284 polling stations equipped with 53,959 ballot units, 23,284 control units, and 23,284 VVPAT machines.
There is a direct fight between Mahayuti and Mahavikas Aghadi candidates on all seats. While the Vanchit Bahujan Agadhi pose challenge to both the front.
The elections in five Lok Sabha constituencies which fall under western Maharashtra regions are witnessing tougher contests comparatively.
In Pune, BJP fielded former mayor Murlidhar Mohol against Congress’ Ravindra Dhangekar.
In Shirur, sitting NCP (SP) MP Amol Kolhe is facing former MP Shivajirao Adhalrao-Patil of NCP-AP.
In Maval, the contest is between the two Shiv Senas. Sitting MP Shrirange Barne of Shinde group is facing Sanjog Waghere of UBT.
In Ahmednagar, there is a direct fight between sitting MP Dr Sujay Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil of BJP and Nilesh Lanke of NCP-SP.
There is a triangular fight in the Shirdi reserved Lok Sabha constituency, where the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena nominated sitting MP Sadashiv Lokhande against former MP and Shiv Sena (UBT) candidate Bhausaheb Wakchaure who are up against Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) nominee and former Congress leader Utkarsha Rupawate.
While in North Maharashtra’s Jalgaon Lok Sabha constituency, BJP candidate Smitha Wagh is contesting against Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray (UBT) candidate Karan Pawar.
In Raver constituency, sitting BJP MP Raksha Khadse is pitted against NCP-SP candidate Sriram Patil.
In Nandurbar Heena Gavit sitting MP is again contesting election against Congress Adv Gowaal Kagada Padavi.
In Marathwada region’s Aurangabad parliamentary constituency, sitting AIMIM MP Imtiaz Jaleel is pitted against UBT’s candidate Chandrakant Khaire and Shinde Sena candidate Sandipan Bhumre, while Vanchit Bahujan Agadhi Afsar Khan is also in the fray here.
In Beed, one of the key contests is on, where BJP has given chance to late Gopinath Munde’s elder daughter Pankaja Munde who has locked horns with Maratha candidate Bajrang Sonawane of NCP-Sharad Pawar group. The VBA is also contesting election here.
While in Jalna constituency, fifth-time sitting BJP MP and Union Minister of State for Railways Raosaheb Danve is contesting election for the sixth time in row against Congress nominee Dr Kalyan Kale.
So far, there has been no untoward incident reported.
