|
Malegaon:
A voting percentage of 31.46 is recorded till 11:30 in the morning
as voting
began Sunday morning for elections to Malegaon's newly-formed
civic body. Earlier, in the first two hours of the polling which
began 07:30 in the morning was recorded as 14.95%.
Besides deciding who will rule the
civic body for the next five years, the result of this election will also decide who will become
the first lady Mayor of the Muslim dominated town in North
Maharashtra.
People queued up outside 540 booths across the town to vote for
elections - first after the inclusion of newer areas in the city
limit and increase in the corporation body from 72 to 80.
A total of 3,67,374 registered voters are expected to exercise
their franchise to decide the fate of 471 candidates including 227
women candidates for the 80 seats.
Additional forces including 7 companies of State Reserve Police (SRP)
have been deployed in the town to ensure free and fair elections.
Video cameras have also been installed at sensitive polling
booths. Nashik Superintendent of Police (SP) Pravin Padwal is also
camping in the town to look into the law and order situation.
The polling will end at 5.30 p.m.
For the first time, 50 percent seats (40) have been reserved for
women candidates.
Among the prominent candidates whose
fate would be sealed in the elections - the result of which will
also decide where Malegaon would stand in future vis-à-vis cities
like Nashik, Jalgaon and Aurangabad in terms of infrastructure,
include current Mayor Abdul Malik, NCP stalwarts Yunus Esa and
Ibrahim National, senior corporators Rasheed Yeolewala , Sakharam
Ghodke, Narendra Sonawane, Ejaz Baig, Prof Rizwan and Bulund Iqbal.
The fate of Shan-e-Hind of Janata
Dal (S), Tahira Shaikh Rasheed of Congress party and Jyoti Bhosale,
an independent – the three front runners for the post of first
lady Mayor of Malegaon, would also be sealed in the elections.
The votes will be counted Monday.
|
Comments
|
Quick links