First of the seven-phase general elections kicks-off today across the country; Maharashtra will witness a direct contest between NDA & UPA at many places
The first out of the seven-phase General Elections is all set to take off today (Thursday). All arrangements have been made in the state covering seven Lok Sabha seats, which will see a direct fight between the BJP-Shiv Sena and Congress-NCP-led alliances. Polling will begin at 7 am amid tight security and end at 6 pm in all seven constituencies.
Senior Union Minister Nitin Gadkari (Nagpur) and his Cabinet colleague Hansraj Ahir (Chandrapur) both from the BJP are among prominent candidates in the fray in the first phase that covers seven out of the 10 Lok Sabha seats in the Vidarbha region. The constituencies going to the polls today are Nagpur, Ramtek (SC), Wardha, Bhandara-Gondiya, Yavatmal-Washim, Gadchiroli-Chimur (ST) and Chandrapur.
The remaining three parliamentary seats in the region are Akola, Buldhana and Amravati will vote in the second phase on April 18. A total of 116 candidates are in the fray in these seven seats, which were once a Congress bastion. In Nagpur, Gadkari, the sitting BJP MP, is pitted against Congress candidate Nana Patole, while in Chandrapur, Ahir's main rival is Suresh Dhanorkar of the Congress. In Ramtek, sitting Shiv Sena MP Krupal Tumane is facing former bureaucrat Kishore Gajbhiye of the Congress.
In Gadchiroli-Chimur, sitting BJP MP Ashok Nete is locking horns with Congress candidate Dr Namdeo Usendi. Gadchiroli is a naxal-affected district.
According to Election Commission official, polling teams will reach their respective booths by Wednesday evening. Mock polling will be conducted at 6.15 AM in the presence of representatives of the candidates in the fray before actual voting begins.
Gadkari, along with his family members, is expected to cast his vote at a polling booth in the Mahal area at around 9.30 AM. Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat is expected to exercise his franchise at the polling booth at Bhauji Daftari School, Mahal, at around 7 AM. The Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis is also expected to cast his vote in the early hours of polling in the Vanamati area of the city.