MUMBAI: Polling for biennial elections to five Maharashtra Legislative Council constituencies — three graduates constituencies in the Aurangabad, Pune and Nagpur divisions, and two teachers’ constituencies in Amravati and Pune divisions – clocked 72% on Friday.

Turnout in Maha legislative council polls 72%

Turnout in the Amravati Teachers’ Constituency was 91%; in the Pune Teachers’ Constituency 85%; Nagpur Graduates’ Constituency 64%; Pune Graduates’ Constituency 62%; and Aurangabad Graduates’ Constituency 58%.

Rebellion within the ruling Mahayuti and the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) jeopardised the prospects of candidates from both camps. The Shiv Sena supported independent candidate Sachin Sanap in the Pune teachers’ constituency, posing a challenge to the BJP’s official candidate, Kaustubh Gawde. The Congress has renominated its sitting MLC Jayant Ajgoaknar, who gain from the rebellion within the Mahayuti.

BJP candidate Smita Jadhav from the Pune graduates’ constituency is facing NCP-SP’s Harshada Deshmukh, daughter of former IAS officer Prabhakar Deshmukh. NCP (SP)’s sitting MLC, Arun Lad, whose son joined the BJP last year, and NCP leader Pratap Mane are expected to play a key role in the elections, observers says.

In Nagpur, although the BJP persuaded its rebel Anil Sole to withdraw his nomination filed as an independent against the party’s official candidate Sudhakar Kohale, the Congress’s Abhijit Wanjari has posed a challenge to him.

In Aurangabad, the MVA’s two constituents – NCP (SP) and Shiv Sena (UBT) – have fielded candidates against each other. NCP (SP)’s Pratapsinh Patil and Sena (UBT)’s Dilip Ghuge are facing off against each other in the Aurangabad graduates’ constituency, which may help NCP (SP) candidate and sitting MLC win the constituency once again.

The Amravati teachers’ constituency saw BJP rebel Sangeeta Shinde contesting against the Mahayuti’s official candidate, Shiv Sena’s Kiran Sarnaik. This may help Congress candidate Aditi Pohare, daughter of former minister Harshavardhan Deshmukh.

A total of 1,068,072 graduate and teacher voters were eligible to exercise their franchise across 2,419 polling stations across the five constituencies. Counting of votes will take place on October 27.

The Aurangabad, Pune and Nagpur graduates’ constituencies had 326,700, 388,019 and 255,603 voters, respectively. The Amravati and Pune teachers’ constituencies have 35,810 and 61,940 voters, respectively.

Union transport minister Nitin Gadkari cast his vote at a polling booth in Nagpur. He said, “Teachers’ and graduates’ constituencies comprise literate and intellectual voters, and their voting reflects their inclination. I am confident our candidate, Sudhakar Kohale, will win the graduates’ constituency in the first round of counting,” he said.

NCP (SP) MP Supriya Sule alleged in a post on social media, “Complaints have surfaced that in the Pune Teachers and Graduates Constituency election, the BJP is using pens equipped with spy cams for distributing money. Voters are reporting that such pens are being placed in their pockets, a video is recorded of them casting their vote for the BJP candidate, and after voting, upon showing the video, the promised money is handed over — this is the kind of activity that’s underway.....”

Sule said the Election Commission and the government must conduct a thorough investigation into the matter.