Nashik Civic Polls Witness Moderate Afternoon Turnout, Final Count Delayed
Nashik city recorded a voter turnout of 39.6% by 3:30 PM on Thursday during the crucial Nashik Municipal Corporation elections. The final figures remained pending as voting continued at several polling stations beyond the scheduled closing time.
Officials Expect Final Turnout Around 60%
Nashik Municipal Corporation administration officials anticipated the overall turnout would eventually touch approximately 60% once counting concludes. This projection falls slightly below the 61.6% turnout recorded during the previous 2017 civic polls.
NMC commissioner Manisha Khatri confirmed the delay in final figures, attributing it to ongoing voting at certain booths. She stated the turnout is likely to reach 60%, though compiling complete data requires more time due to extended polling activities.
Multiple Factors Contribute to Moderate Participation
Several elements appeared to influence voting patterns throughout the day. The civic administration initially expected higher participation than the 2017 elections, but various circumstances prevented a significant surge in numbers.
Election experts identified specific issues affecting turnout. Many families discovered their members' names distributed across different polling stations, reducing collective household participation. Additionally, the delimitation exercise shifted numerous voters' names from one ward to another, creating confusion and restricting overall engagement.
Political observers noted that shifting political alliances and large-scale movement of politicians between parties may have disappointed or disengaged sections of the electorate. This political fluidity potentially led some voters to remain home rather than participate in the electoral process.
Cold Weather Slows Morning Voting
The day began with notably slow voting activity, largely due to chilly morning conditions. Nashik recorded only 6.51% turnout during the first two hours between 7:30 AM and 9:30 AM.
Weather experts explained the minimum temperature dropped sharply to 11.2°C, compared to 15.4°C the previous day. This significant temperature decrease prompted many voters to delay stepping out from their homes during early morning hours.
Turnout gradually improved as the day progressed, reaching 16% by 11:30 AM. Steady improvement continued between 11:30 AM and 3:30 PM, with 23.6% voting during this period, bringing the cumulative afternoon figure to 39.6%.
Evening Queues Extend Polling Hours
After 3:30 PM, polling booths across Nashik began witnessing long queues of voters. Voting continued even after 8:00 PM at some locations, significantly slowing the release of final turnout figures.
This year's NMC polls featured a triangular contest among major political formations. The Bharatiya Janata Party contested independently, while Mahayuti partners including the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena and the Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party fought together.
On the opposing side, the Maha Vikas Aghadi coalition comprising Shiv Sena (UBT), Maharashtra Navnirman Sena, Congress, and NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) jointly contested the elections, creating a competitive political landscape for Nashik's civic governance.
