PUNE: The turnout in the Vadgaon Sheri and the Pune Cantonment constituencies was around 41.08 per cent and 38.94 per cent, respectively. Voting picked up momentum in the afternoon due to the sunshine for some time. Concerns of rains adversely affecting voting did not come true.
There were 12 candidates in the fray in Vadgaon Sheri in this elections. In 2014, 19 contestants fought the polls while 13 candidates battled for the seat in 2009. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) fielded sitting MLA Jagdish Mulik while Sunil Tingre is contesting from Nationalist Congress Party (NCP).
Vadgaon Sheri has a mixed population residing in slums, middle-class, rich localities and IT professionals. Voting started slowly in the morning. It increased in the afternoon. In Kalyani Nagar and Viman Nagar, people cast their votes early in the morning after finishing their morning walk. Some of them directly went to polling station from jogging tracks. There was 4 per cent voting from 7 am to 9 am due to rain.
After 10 am, the sun started breaking out from clouds occasionally and people rushed to voting centres. The percentage crossed the 10 per cent mark. It increased further in the afternoon. People were standing in queues. There was slush at polling stations due to rain on Sunday night. Voters became enthusiastic in the fourth round of voting.
In Kharadi, the Eon Guanaukur English School was decorated to welcome voters. The polling booths were decorated with balloons. Voters were clicking selfies after voting in front of the decorated gate.
In Mundhwa, voters queued up at the Rajarshi Shahu Maharaj School, among them were senior citizens and women. There was no rain in the morning. Therefore, people were rushing to cast vote. Some senior citizens faced problems as their names went missing from the voters’ list, especially in Keshav Nagar and some parts of Mundhwa.
In Vadgaon Sheri, the turnout was 41.08 per cent. There was a fall in percentage in 2019 as compared to 2014. This seat had registered a turnout of 54.02 per cent in 2014, while it was 45.79 per cent in 2009.
PUNE CANTONMENT
Pune Cantonment seat is reserved for the scheduled caste category. The population here comprises 15.71 per cent from scheduled castes and 0.65 per cent from Scheduled Tribes. The literacy rate is 86.15 per cent. In all, 28 candidates are in the fray in the 2019 elections. In 2014, there were 16 contestants and 20 candidates in 2009.
Congress City President Ramesh Bagwe and BJP’s Sunil Kamble are prominent candidates here. It comprises densely populated slum areas. According to Election Commission of India (ECI), voting turnover was 38.94 per cent at the end of the day.
Normally, there is a high percentage of voting in slum pockets but, it did’t happen this time. The total percentage was around 38.94 per cent according to ECI. It was 47.24 per cent in 2014 and in 2009, 35.93 per cent turnout was registered.
AS THE DAY GOES
Vadgaon Sheri has a mixed population residing in slums, middle-class, rich localities and IT professionals. Voting started slowly in the morning. It increased in the afternoon.