MUMBAI, SEPT 5: Voting for the millennium mandate for the Lok Sabha and the state assembly in Maharashtra followed the trend of the previous years. In the 24 Lok Sabha and 144 assembly constituencies that went to the polls today-mainly in Vidarbha, Marathwada, north Maharashtra-the average percentage of turnout was 56.75 percent and was expected to reach 60 percent when final data from all centres reached the headquarters here.Latur, with 65 per cent and Amravati with 44 per cent, recorded the highest and lowest polling percentage respectively, State Election Commissioner D K Sankaran said. Maharashtra had logged an average of 52 per cent and 56 per cent in the last two general elections and 68 per cent in the 1995 Assembly polls.The turnout in the first phase this time was not less enthusiastic as many had expected it to be, what with the fatigue of frequent elections. In Vidarbha, an estimated 55 per cent of voters exercised their franchise for 11 Lok Sabha and 66 State Assembly constituencies.According to a rough estimate, Nagpur recorded a low turnout of around 50 per cent while the eastern Vidarbha districts of Chandrapur, Bhandara and Gadchiroli recorded a moderate turnout of 55 to 60 per cent. Voters in these districts ignored Naxal threats and exercised their franchise while voters in the urban centres like Nagpur preferred to stay home.Among others, today's polling sealed the fate of Deputy Chief Minister Gopinath Munde, former Lok Sabha speaker Shivraj Patil who is Congress nominee from Latur Lok Sabha seat, former Chief Ministers Shivajirao Patil Nilangekar and Sudhakarrao Naik who are contesting Nilanga and Pusad assembly seats respectively.Giving details on today's voting, Sankaran said that the polling was free of violence and the state had continued its tradition of peaceful polling. However, reports reaching from Renapur, Gopinath Munde's constituency, spoke of tension there after the stabbing incident yesterday in which his brother Pandit Anna suffered some injuries. Sanakaranmaintained that this did not affect the turnout though Munde was seen ``patrolling'' in the area today.Sankaran reiterated that reports of ballot papers being snatched in Beed today were `absolutely false'. Meanwhile, reports from Parli Vaijnath in Beed district said that about 20 miscreants today damaged a local cable TV network in Parli, operated by a known supporter of Munde.
