Vidarbha Civic Polls Present Mixed Picture with Moderate Turnout
Voting in Vidarbha's three major cities—Amravati, Chandrapur, and Akola—showed a varied pattern on Thursday. Turnout in the municipal corporation elections remained moderate throughout the day. Technical glitches, voter list problems, and sporadic law-and-order incidents marked the polling process.
Voter Turnout Figures Show Gradual Increase
By 3:30 PM, voter turnout stood at approximately 40% in Amravati. Chandrapur recorded 38%, while Akola saw 43%. Election officials awaited final figures at press time. All three cities experienced a slow start in the morning hours.
Chandrapur witnessed just over 6% voting by 9:30 AM. This gradually rose to about 16% by 11:30 AM and 26% by 1:30 PM. The figure finally touched 38% by mid-afternoon. Election officials attributed the sluggish beginning to voter apathy and logistical challenges. Polling picked up pace later in the day.
A similar trend emerged in Amravati. Turnout there was 7% by 9:30 AM. It increased to 17% by 11:30 AM and 27% by 1:30 PM. The 40% mark was crossed by 3:30 PM. Officials expected the final turnout to approach 55%. This would be comparable to the 54.54% recorded during the 2017 civic polls.
Akola presented a comparatively higher turnout by afternoon. Voting rose sharply from 6% in the morning to 43% by 3:30 PM. Long queues formed in slum areas and densely populated localities. Voting continued across 630 polling stations spread over six zones.
Technical Glitches and Administrative Issues Surface
EVM malfunctions caused delays at several polling stations. In Amravati, an EVM failure at polling station 23 delayed voting by about 25 minutes. Former MLA Abhijit Adsul alleged deliberate wrong order placement of EVMs. Voters complained that family members received assignments to different polling stations.
At BR High School in Akola, voting stalled for nearly 20 minutes. An EVM in room number 7 developed a technical fault. This led to long queues and anger among voters. NCP MLC Amol Mitkari questioned the use of marker pens instead of traditional indelible ink. He warned this could raise the risk of double voting.
Voter roll discrepancies caused widespread frustration in Chandrapur. Several voters claimed their names were missing or shifted to distant wards. Some reported mismatched photographs on electoral rolls. In Akola's ward 3 at Shriram Nagar, around 25-30 voters said their names were missing despite valid voter ID cards.
Law-and-Order Incidents Disrupt Polling Process
Election officials and police remained on high alert across the three cities. Reports of violence and administrative lapses kept authorities vigilant.
In Chandrapur, tension erupted near the Nehru School polling centre. An alleged assault occurred outside the booth. BJP Minority Morcha president and Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde faction) candidate Rashid Hussain faced accusations of attacking Lalit Kasat. Kasat is the husband of an independent candidate. Police resorted to a mild lathicharge to disperse the crowd. Voting briefly halted. Both parties later filed complaints.
Amravati saw an alleged pre-poll assault involving an independent candidate and a BJP woman activist. Independent candidate Ajay Sarkar allegedly attacked the activist in Bengali locality on Wednesday night. The woman lodged a complaint at Ramnagar police station. She alleged assault and outraging her modesty. Authorities admitted her to the emergency ward of a government hospital.
Akola's voting day witnessed repeated disruptions. A minor scuffle was reported at Bhandpura Chowk. Clashes occurred between Congress and AIMIM supporters at Urdu school number 3 in Bhandpura. Amravati range special inspector general Ramnath Pokale and Akola superintendent of police Archit Chandak rushed to the area. Heavy police bandobast was deployed.
Political tempers flared in Harihar Peth. BJP and the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena factions argued at a polling centre. At Dadasaheb Meshram School booth in ward 7, rival candidates accused a Congress nominee of guiding voters inside the polling room. They claimed he instructed voters on which button to press. This triggered protests and chaos before police intervention.
Verification Questions Arise in Akola
Akola also saw questions raised over pardanashin verification for burqa-and-veil-clad women voters. This occurred in ward 17 of Bhandpura. Women voters were allegedly allowed to enter booths without proper identity verification. The issue drew attention to procedural lapses during the voting process.
Voting in Amravati remained largely peaceful overall. However, reports of EVM malfunctions and minor disputes surfaced at a few polling stations. Akola experienced more pronounced law-and-order challenges alongside its higher turnout.
The municipal corporation elections in Vidarbha's three cities ultimately reflected a complex electoral landscape. Moderate voter participation combined with technical and administrative hurdles defined the polling day. Authorities worked to manage incidents while voters navigated the challenges to cast their ballots.
