Pune Bypolls: 10.4% Voter Turnout In Chinchwad, 8.2% In Kasba Peth Till 11 AM

Pune: Till 9 am, the voter turnout for the Chinchwad Assembly seat and Kasba Assembly seat in Maharashtra stood at 3.52% and 6.5% respectively, reported PTI. Voting is underway in the crucial Pune bypolls in the two constituencies. A clash reportedly occurred between supporters of Shiv Sena (UBT) rebel candidate Rahul Kalate and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) outside a polling station, but it was soon resolved by police officials.

"It was a minor clash between the supporters of Kalate and BJP, but police intervened on time," Pimpri Chinchwad's Deputy Commissioner of Police Kakasaheb Dole said as quoted by PTI.

Currently, the fate of three leading candidates - Vitthal Kate (NCP), BJP's Ashwini Jagtap, and independent Rahul Kalate - is being decided as the by-poll elections for the Chinchwad Assembly constituency are ongoing. In addition, the Kasba Peth of Pune district is also currently holding Assembly by-polls, where the major fight is between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA). The MVA has pitted Congress Candidate Ravindra Dhangekar against BJP's Hemant Rasane in this ongoing election.

Maharashtra | Voting begins for Kasba Peth Assembly constituency in Pune.

(Visuals from the polling booth number-75 of Nutan Marathi Vidyalaya) pic.twitter.com/IH1GevVIoP — ANI (@ANI) February 26, 2023

In the constituencies, several high-ranking politicians such as Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Sharad Pawar, Ajit Pawar of the NCP, Aditya Thackeray of Shivsena UBT, and Congress State Chief Nana Patole engaged in intensive poll campaigning. They conducted various activities such as road shows, corner meetings, and public rallies to campaign for their respective parties.

Kasba Peth: Voters, polling booths

As per data released by the district information office, the total number of voters in the Kasba Peth constituency is 2,75,428 with 1,38, 550 women voters and 1,36,87 male voters, and five transgender voters, reported ANI.

Maharashtra | Two assembly constituencies Chinchwad and Kasba Peth of Pune district to go for bypoll today, preparations underway pic.twitter.com/mUV1vwwdYr — ANI (@ANI) February 26, 2023

The Kasba Peth Bypoll would take place in a total of 270 polling booths, where the police have made nine sensitive polling centres. Around 1300 police personnel along with all senior officials of the police department deployed for voting day by the Pune police as per an ANI report.

Chinchwad: Voters, polling booths

For the Chinchwad assembly constituency, 56,8954 eligible voters are set to cast their votes in 510 polling booths. The police have identified 13 sensitive polling centers in the constituency, with 850 police personnel and all senior officials stationed throughout the area to ensure law and order during the bypoll.

To assist the local police in maintaining law and order during the bypoll, paramilitary forces such as the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), and Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) will also be deployed.

Both the Chinchwad and Kasba Peth assembly constituencies are holding by-polls after the passing of BJP's MLA Laxman Jagtap and Mukta Tilak from the respective constituencies. The bypoll results will be announced on March 2.