Lok Sabha Elections 2024: 101 per cent sure, I will win with good margin, says Nitin Gadkari after voting

BJP candidate and Union minister Nitin Gadkari with family after casting their votes/ PTI

Nitin Gadkari, the BJP's nominee for the Nagpur seat in Lok Sabha Elections 2024, is confident as voting begins in Maharashtra. He expressed confidence in an overwhelming victory against his opponent, Congress' Vikas Thakre, the current Nagpur West MLA.

Speaking to ANI, Gadkari said that voting is important and encouraged everyone to exercise their fundamental right. Despite the hot weather, he urged people to attend early to polling places.

"We are celebrating the festival of democracy today. Everyone should vote, this is our fundamental right as well as duty. You can vote for anyone but casting your vote is important. I am 101 per cent that I will win by a good margin," Gadkari told ANI.

Reflecting on previous successes, Gadkari recalled his big vote share in the 2019 elections, when he won 55.7 per cent and defeated Maharashtra Congress President Nana Patole by a margin of 2,16,009 votes. A similar victory was achieved in the 2014 elections against Congress leader Vilas Muttemwar, the ANI report stated.

"We are celebrating the country's biggest festival with great enthusiasm. In Nagpur, I would especially appeal to the voters that the temperature is high here so they should come early and vote. Last time there was 54 per cent voting, this time our resolve is to take the voting percentage to 75 per cent. I will definitely win this election by a very big margin," he said after casting his vote.

Maharashtra, with 48 Lok Sabha seats, is a key player in national politics. The BJP hopes to maintain its grip in the state via the Lok Sabha Elections 2024, which will be held in five phases. Lok Sabha Elections 2024, which runs from April 19 to June 1, is the country's second-longest polling exercise, with results set to be released on June 4.

Voter turnout in Maharashtra for Lok Sabha Elections 2024

The voter turnout across five constituencies in the first phase of Lok Sabha Elections 2024 in Maharashtra stood at 19.17 per cent. Of the five seats, Naxal-hit Gadchiroli-Chimur took the lead with 24.88 per cent of the eligible voters casting their ballots followed by Bhandara-Gondia which saw 19.72 per cent turnout. Chandrapur saw an 18.94 per cent voter turnout while only 17.53 per cent cast their votes in Nagpur. Ramtek constituency had the least amount of voter turnout with 16.14 per cent.