Lok Sabha Elections 2024: 31.77 pc turnout recorded by 1 pm in Maharashtra's polls for 8 seats

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Until 1 PM on Friday, a voter turnout of 31.77 per cent was reported in the second phase of the Lok Sabha Elections 2024 for eight constituencies in Maharashtra, officials disclosed. The voting commenced at 7 am across Akola, Amravati, Buldhana, Wardha, Yavatmal-Washim, Hingoli, Nanded, and Parbhani constituencies and will conclude at 6 pm.

The election office reported turnout statistics for the second phase of Lok Sabha Elections 2024: Parbhani 33.88 per cent, Nanded 32.93 per cent, Wardha 32.32 per cent, Akola 32.25 per cent, Yavatmal-Washim 31.47 per cent, Amravati 31.40 per cent, Hingoli 30.46 per cent, and Buldhana 29.07 per cent, reported PTI.

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Former Chief Minister Ashok Chavan, who is now a member of the BJP, voted in Nanded alongside his family.

Around 1.49 crore voters, including males, women, and people of third genders, are eligible to vote in 16,589 polling stations. There are 204 individuals vying for the eight seats, the report added.

Per the report, the number of contenders varies per constituency: 21 in Buldhana, 15 in Akola, 37 in Amravati, 24 in Wardha, 17 in Yavatmal-Washim, 33 in Hingoli, 23 in Nanded and 34 in Parbhani.

In the previous phase of Lok Sabha Elections 2024, on April 19, five seats in east Vidarbha saw a voter turnout of 63.70 per cent.

The Shiv Sena, led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, is running directly against Uddhav Thackeray's Shiv Sena (UBT) in Buldhana, Yavatmal-Washim, and Hingoli. Prataprao Jadhav, the current Shiv Sena MP in Buldhana, will fight Sena (UBT) candidate Narendra Khedekar, PTI report added.

According to the report, Rajashri Patil is the Shiv Sena's nominee for Yavatmal-Washim, whereas Baburao Kohalikar is running from Hingoli. In Parbhani, Rashtriya Samaj Paksha's Mahadev Jankar competes against MP Sanjay Jadhav.

Prakash Ambedkar's Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) is contesting seven seats, with Prakash Ambedkar representing Akola and his brother Anandraj Ambedkar representing Amravati.

In Akola, Anup Dhotre (BJP) will face Abhay Patil (Congress), with Prakash Ambedkar running as a third candidate. Amravati is witnessing a struggle between Navneet Rana (BJP) and Balwant Wankhede (Congress), the report added.

The succeeding phases of Lok Sabha Elections 2024 in Maharashtra will take place between May 7 and May 20.