Civic polls: Ahmednagar 67%, Dhule 60%

Mumbai: Ahmednagar and Dhule municipal corporations Sunday recorded a voter turnout of 67 per cent and 60 per cent, respectively, a state election commission official said.

Voting for 74-member Dhule and 68-member Ahmednagar civic corporations started Sunday morning.

Both these prominent cities of north Maharashtra have a combined voter population of nearly eight lakh. While Dhule has 4.46 lakh voters, there are 3.46 lakh voters in Ahmednagar.

“The estimated polling percentage is based on the figures obtained when the voting was concluded. The final figures will be out late,” said the official.

State Election Commissioner J S Saharia told reporters that polling was held for 68 seats in 17 wards of the Ahmednagar Municipal Corporation and for 73 seats in Dhule.

“Election for one seat (in Dhule) was unanimous hence voting was not held,” he said.

The counting will begin at 10 AM Monday.

The run-up to the Dhule Municipal Corporation polls was a contentious one with BJP MLA Anil Gote accusing his party of inducting criminals and giving them tickets.

Gote has fielded candidates from his local outfit Loksangram against official BJP candidates.

Gote Sunday said that some people, who he claimed were BJP workers, threw stones at his car on Saturday.