Elections 2019: Pune district sees 53 percent polling

Determined voters included a 105-year-old, and a bride who first exercised her right as a citizen, and then went to her wedding; there was around 61 % polling in Baramati

Elections 2019: Pune district sees 53 percent polling

Shraddha Bhagwat arrives to cast her vote before going to her wedding

The third phase of the 17th Lok Sabha elections saw around 53 per cent voters cast their vote in Pune district, while in Baramati district the number was around 61 per cent, on Tuesday evening.

There were 49 candidates in the fray for the two parliamentary constituencies in Pune district. Of these 31 are contesting from Pune and 18 are contesting from Baramati.

A total of 42 lakh voters will cast their vote. There are around 20,74,861 voters registered in Pune, while in Baramati there are 21,12,408 voters. In the Lok Sabha elections in 2014, the percentage of polling in Pune was 54 and in Baramati it was 58 per cent.

For the first time, suspects under arrest and those in police custody were brought to cast their votes. Police have detained a polling officer who allegedly told voters to vote for BJP.

Dr Balwant Ghatpande, 105, claims he has been casting his vote since 1952 when the first LS election was held

105-year-old voter

Citizens also faced issues like being asked to wait in the heat in Ghorpade, as the polling officers were having lunch. There were also instances when people did not let age or their own marriage come in the way of their right to vote. Dr Balwant Pandharinath Ghatpande, a 105-year-old resident of Pune, cast his vote at 10 am at RCM Gujarati High School. He said, "Since 1952 when the first Lok Sabha election was held, I have been casting my vote. NOTA – None of the above – is a good option for people. At least, they can vote."

The Pune-based Sarpotdar brothers, Vivek and Yogesh, lost their mother, Vinaya, but before the 10th day rituals they went to the polling station at Shaniwar Peth to vote. One of them said, "Our mother never forgot to vote and she was hoping to vote in this election. We first exercised our rights as citizens and then did the rituals."

Nearly 27 members of the Bhosale family arrive to cast their votes at Rasta Peth

Wedding can wait

Shraddha Gajanan Bhagwat, 25, arrived to vote dressed in her bridal attire - nine yard sari, green bangles and jewellery. She cast her vote and proceeded to her wedding. Shraddha was to get married to Amit Satpute around 11 in the morning on Tuesday. Around 9.20 am she marched to the polling station along with her parents to cast her vote. She said, "It's a big day in my life. But first comes my duty as a citizen. It took hardly eight minutes to cast my vote. I was fortunate that my parents and family members helped me."

Around 27 people from Bhosale family, including four generations, turned up together to cast their votes. The election also saw another determined voter come from Dubai to cast his vote. 27-year-old chef, Kunal More said, "It is my right and duty to vote though I stay overseas."

Action against voter

A voter at the SSPMS school at Shivajinagar approached the presiding officer at the polling station, alleging that he voted for a party but the light came on next to the symbol for another party. In such a case, the voter is asked to vote again in the presence of officials. They did so, but the second time the EVM machine did not show any such change.

Pune District Collector and District election officer Naval Kishore Ram is in ther process of registering a case against the voter who had raised the false allegation. Collector Ram said, "The allegation turned false, so we have taken strict action against the voter. It is not so easy now to raise such an allegation after voting."

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