NASHIK: Voting for the Maharashtra Legislative Council (MLC) elections in Nashik and Jalgaon concluded peacefully on Thursday, recording an impressive 99.8% turnout in Nashik and 97.8% in Jalgaon.
In Nashik, 618 of the 619 eligible voters cast their ballots across nine centres, taking turnout to 99.8%, district collector and election officer Ayush Prasad said. Polling began slowly, with only about 9% voting recorded by noon, as many voters were reportedly out of the city, some travelling to Thane. The pace picked up sharply after 1pm, resulting in near-total participation by the close of voting.
Mahayuti had fielded Shiv Sena's Narendra Darade from Nashik, while BJP rebel Gokul Gite withdrew from the contest after initially entering the fray as an independent. Expressing confidence, cabinet minister and senior BJP functionary Girish Mahajan said Mahayuti was poised for a landslide win. "Mahayuti enjoys a clear majority with around 470 of the 619 voters in Nashik. Our candidate Narendra Darade will emerge victorious," he said, adding that the alliance would win all 17 MLC seats in the state and the opposition would "fail to secure a single seat."
Polling in Nashik was held at centres in Nashik, Dindori, Igatpuri, Niphad, Yeola, Malegaon, Chandwad, Kalwan and Baglan. Except for Malegaon, which recorded 83 of 84 votes, all other centres saw 100% turnout. Officials said elaborate arrangements were made to ensure smooth and transparent polling, with adequate security and facilities as per Election Commission norms. Prasad thanked officials and voters for their participation and expressed satisfaction over the conduct of the election.
In Jalgaon, 616 of the 630 eligible voters cast their votes, taking turnout to 97.8%. Polling was conducted peacefully across seven centres. The Jalgaon constituency witnessed a multi-cornered contest between BJP's Nandkishore Mahajan, MVA-backed Sharad Tayade and Shiv Sena rebel Reshma Kale. Counting of votes for both constituencies will take place on June 22.
