Nagpur: The voting for nine seats of the Maharashtra Medical Council (MMC) at the Nagpur centre recorded a poor turnout on Sunday, with only 1,327 out of 8,455 registered doctors casting their votes, translating to a turnout of 15.69%.
Candidate Landscape and Key Issues
A total of 60 candidates are contesting the elections. The contest is largely centered around four panels—'Healing Hands Unity Panel', 'IMA MMC Panel', 'Official IMA Maharashtra MMC Election-2026 Panel', and 'IMA Yuva Panel'—along with several independent candidates. Campaigns have focused on transparency in the profession, protection of doctors' rights, and improving patient care.
Polling Arrangements and Challenges
Rachana Indurkar supervised the polling as an election officer. Fourteen booths were set up on the second floor of the Super Speciality Hospital. The prevailing heatwave in Nagpur is believed to have discouraged many doctors from venturing out to vote. Ongoing summer vacations at government medical institutions such as GMC and IGGMC also contributed to the low turnout.
Issues with the voter list further affected participation. Several doctors reported missing names. In one instance, Dr. Rahul Dagwar of IGGMCH could not vote as his name was listed in Mumbai. Minor objections were raised over promotional standees placed by some panels at hospital entrances, though no formal complaints were filed.
Impact of Low Turnout
Observers noted that the presence of three panels backed by the Indian Medical Association (IMA) could split votes, making the low turnout a potentially decisive factor. With polling concluded, the medical fraternity is keenly awaiting the results, though the official date of declaration has not yet been announced.
