Nagpur / Mumbai, Apr 19 (UNI) Amid scorching heat in the central Indian landscape, half of the vast Vidarbha region of Maharashtra registered 54.85 per cent voting in first phase of Lok Sabha elections on Friday.
The five seats that went to polls included Nagpur, Ramtek (SC), Bhandara-Gondiya, Chandrapur and Gadchiroli-Chimur.
The administration had set a target of 75 per cent voting in Nagpur, but 54.85 per cent polling has taken place in five constituencies till 1700 hours.
The polling started at 0700 hrs in the morning and considering the heat in Vidarbha, voters exercised their right to vote in the morning session and preferred to stay indoor in afternoon session due to the scorching heat.
Sources in State Election Commission informed that average polling in all five Lok Sabha constituencies was registered at 54.85 per cent.
In Nagpur, where BJP's Nitin Gadkari is contesting, the polling percentage is feared to fall. There are total 26 candidates in the fray in Nagpur and the polling percentage of Nagpur Lok Sabha constituency was recorded just 47.91 per cent till 1700 hrs.
There are total 97 candidates in fray in East Vidarbha, including two high-profile BJP leaders Nitin Gadkari, who is the Road Transport and Highways Minister in the Narendra Modi-led NDA government and Sudhir Mungantiwar, a senior minister in Eknath Shinde-led Maha Yuti government - who are contesting from Nagpur and Chandrapur, respectively.
Nagpur, the geographical centre of India, is witnessing an interesting contest.
Gadkari, a two-time MP who is considered close to RSS chief Dr Mohan Bhagwat and top brass of BJP’s ideological parent, faces Congress candidate Vikas Thakre, who is an MLA from Nagpur West and a former mayor of the Orange City, as Nagpur is referred to.
Thakre has the backing of Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi chief Prakash Ambedkar, who supported his candidature despite alliance with the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) falling apart.
BJP’s trouble-shooter and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and state BJP president Chandrashekhar Bawankule, both of whom hail from Nagpur, have addressed a series of meetings for Gadkari.
In Chandrapur, Mungantiwar, a six-time MLA from Chandrapur and Ballarpur, who is the state Forest and Cultural Affairs Minister, is facing a stiff challenge from Congress candidate Pratibha Dhanorkar, who is wife of late MP Balu Dhanorkar, who had defeated BJP veteran Hansraj Ahir.
This is the only seat that Congress had won in Maharashtra last time.
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