Maharashtra and Haryana go to polls tomorrow. In Maharashtra, all preparations for tomorrow`s voting to elect the 13th Assembly have been completed. Polling parties have reached to their respective polling stations. Tomorrow`s voting will decide the political fate of 4,119 candidates including 276 women.
Polling will be held in all 288 assembly constituencies and it will begin at 7 in the morning and conclude at 6 in the evening. Counting of votes will be held on October 19.
AIR correspondent reports that in Naxal hit four constituencies including Aamgaon in Gondia and Aarmori, Garhchiroli and Aheri in Garhchiroli districts polling will be ended 3 hours earlier at 3 PM due to security reasons.
Special security measures have been taken in Naxal hit districts of Gondia and Garhchiroli. Above 23 hundred polling stations have been identified as sensitive and extra precautions are being taken there. All sensitive polling booths are manned by the central Para military forces.
The Election Commission has deployed five police observers to look into security arrangements in Naxal hit and sensitive districts of Garhchiroli, Gondia, Nasik, Thane, Pune, Palghar, Mumbai, Sindhudurg and Nanded. Special security measures have been taken in Naxal hit districts of Gondia and Garhchiroli. Strict vigil is being maintained and Indian Air Force helicopters are deployed to do the aerial surveillance.
In addition to state police and security forces from other states 390 companies of central Para military forces have also been deployed for event free voting. In Mumbai, about 40,000 policemen, including paramilitary forces have been deployed to help smooth voting process at 9,920 polling booths in 36 assembly constituencies.
About 6 lakhs poll personnel have been deputed for voting above 91 thousand polling stations. About 4 thousand polling stations arrangements have been made for Voter Verification paper audit trail spread districts of Aurangabad, Amaravati, Nasik, Chandrpur, Wardha, Ahmednagar, Yavatmal, and Bhandara.
Polling will also be held tomorrow for Beed Lok Sabha seat bye elections. A total of 12 candidates including 3 women are in fray for the bye elections. Bye election was necessitated after death of senior BJP leader then Union Minister Gopinath Munde.
After peaceful completion of campaigning for the ensuing Assembly polls, Haryana is all set for polling tomorrow, as all polling parties have left along with related material for their respective destinations.
Strict vigil is being kept at the borders and in the State for peaceful and fair conduct of elections. Supervisory Teams have been constituted to keep an eye on polling parties which would keep updating their concerned senior officers while polling is in progress.
The Sector Magistrates would redress grievances of the people on the spot during polling. Election Commission of India has prohibited the conduct of any exit poll and publishing or publicizing by means of print or electronic media or dissemination in any other manner the result of any exit poll during for the period of 48 hours ending with the hours fixed for conclusion of poll.
Around 1.62 Voters will cast their votes in about 16 thousand three hundred and fifty seven polling centres. Maximum voters are in the age group of 20-29.
The women voter percentage has increased to 46.1 per cent in these elections as compared to 45.44 per cent in the 2009 elections.
Out of total 1531 candidates, 1242 are male and for the first time in history maximum 109 women candidates are in fray.
Bhartiya Janta Party and Indian National Congress candidates will be contesting elections from all 90 Assembly Constituencies of the state whereas 88 candidates of Indian National Lok Dal, 87 of Bahujan Samaj Party, 65 of Haryana Janhit Congress and 23 of by its alliance Haryana Janchetna Party, 17 of CPM, 14 of CPI and 275 of Registered Parties and 603 Independent Candidates are contesting elections to test their fate.
Bhartiya Janta Party has fielded maximum women candidates these assembly elections.
