Over 2.5 Lakh Graduates Vote in Maharashtra Legislative Council Elections
Today marks a significant electoral event as 2,55,603 graduates cast their votes across six districts in Maharashtra.
Nagpur district has the highest number of registered voters at 1,44,466.
The election features candidates from BJP and Congress, with Sudhakar Kohale and Abhijeet Wanjari contesting.
Special casual leave has been granted to government employees to facilitate voting.
In a pivotal electoral event, a total of 2,55,603 graduates are set to participate in the Maharashtra Legislative Council elections today. The voting will take place across 445 polling stations established in six districts of the Nagpur Division, with Nagpur district alone accounting for 1,44,466 voters.
This election is particularly notable as it marks the first instance of a rebel candidate emerging in the race. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis intervened in the situation, engaging with Prof Anil Sole to address any concerns. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has nominated Sudhakar Kohale, while the Congress party has fielded incumbent MLC Adv Abhijeet Wanjari as its candidate. Both parties have ramped up their campaigning efforts, with senior leaders actively participating in rallies and meetings to garner support.
The electorate is comprised of 1,47,280 men, 1,08,301 women, and 22 voters from the ‘other’ category. The distribution of voters across districts shows Nagpur leading with the highest registration, followed by Chandrapur, Gondia, Wardha, Bhandara, and Gadchiroli. Notably, Nagpur district hosts the most polling stations, totaling 246, while Gadchiroli has the least with 26.
In terms of inclusivity, the division has 14,197 voters with disabilities, with Nagpur district again having the highest number at 8,064. Additionally, there are 855 voters aged over 80 years, predominantly in Nagpur. These statistics underscore the significant presence of graduate voters in Nagpur, which represents more than half of the total electorate across the six districts.
To facilitate voter participation, the Maharashtra Government has issued directives for special casual leave for eligible government employees, allowing them to exercise their voting rights. This leave is supplementary to their regular casual leave and aims to ensure that all eligible voters can participate in this important democratic process. However, this provision does not extend to private sector employees, prompting requests for private establishments to allow employees a concession of four hours to vote.
