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Pune: Political parties claimed it was their efforts to bring voters to polling stations that resulted in a rise in voting in the 11 seats of Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad while state election department officials said their awareness drives over the last few months paid off. On Wednesday, the data at 10pm said it all. Voters who turned up at polling booths in numbers increased the turnout from 49.
57% in 2019 to 54.64% in 2024. This time, there was a steady trickle even in the afternoon which is has been generally subdued in the polling stations.
Kasba Peth and Bhosari seats topped the 11 constituencies with 58.7% and 61.14% voting, respectively, while Shivajinagar and Hadapsar were at the bottom with voting percentages of 50.
09% and 51.11%. By 10pm, voting in seven of the eight constituencies in Pune had surpassed the percentage these seats recorded in 2019.
In the three seats of Pimpri, Chinchwad and Bhosari, it crossed the 2019 figure. Pune district's voting was 61.36% up from 2019's 58.
5%. The voting in 10 constituencies of the rural areas was 68.76 % similar to 2019's 68.
33%. An official on election duty from Kasba Peth said many polling booths witnessed a continuous inflow of voters throughout the day, while some polling booths in the densely populated areas and near the slums recorded a rush towards the end of voting. Elaborate arrangements ensured voters did not have to wait for long.
Sources from political parties noted that voters and party workers were enthusiastic about the election, the first after the splits in the NCP and Shiv Sena. Triangular fights in many constituencies led to more voting, other sources added. Meanwhile, leaders from both Mahayuti (comprising BJP, NCP and Shiv Sena) and MVA [ (including Congress, NCP (SCP) and Shiv Sena (UBT)] claimed that the rise in voting has increased their chances of victory.
Preliminary observations hinted that pockets which were their strongholds have seen an increase in voting, the leaders said. MVA leaders from Pune said that discontent about the ruling parties was reflected through Wednesday's increased voting. However, Mahayuti leaders dismissed talks of anti-incumbency.
BJP's state spokesperson Sandeep Khardekar said, "The alliance partners of Mahayuti worked as a single unit in each assembly seat in Pune. These united efforts led to pushing the voting up. People have voted for Mahayuti to express their sentiments that they want us to continue to lead the state.
" Senior Congress leader and state vice-president Mohan Joshi said that change is imminent and the voting pattern reflects it. "All MVA candidates in Pune have performed well. Even in constituencies like Parvati and Khadakwasla, where BJP has dominated for the last three terms, MVA is set to get good backing from voters due to voters' disappointment with Mahayuti," Joshi said.
Senior economist Rajas Parchure said that the "high decibel" campaigning and advertising played a key role in galvanising the voters. "Schemes like Ladki Bahin Yojana have made an impact on voting. It increased the campaigning pitch," he added.
According to Parchure, it is too early to say if the increased voting was a testimony to anti-incumbency. Parimal Maya Sudhakar, associate professor at MIT's School of Govt, said, "The split in NCP and Shiv Sena and smaller parties like MNS and VBA are contesting the election on many seats this time. The competition increased as there were more contestants in the fray; and each tried to get voters to the polling stations.
BJP also tried to galvanise its traditional voters this time, particularly after the recent Lok Sabha election results." Many electors said that voter slips arriving at their homes before voting day helped them locate their polling stations without trouble. The arrangements at the polling centres were fairly good, including facilities like wheelchairs, assistance for physically challenged, and separate waiting rooms for family members.
Some polling booths witnessed malfunctioning in EVMs. A voter from Sahakarnagar area said that he and his family had to wait at the polling station owing to a technical fault in the EVM. The polling resumed after about half-an-hour.
Meanwhile, the Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad police said that the voting in all 11 constituencies was peaceful and no law-and-order situation was reported..
