Mumbai records rise in polling

In the other constituencies in Mumbai, the average rise in polling percentage was about four to five per cent. In South Mumbai, the percentage was 48.48, in South Central it was 50.15, in North Central Mumbai it was 50.49, in North East 53.41, and in North West the voter turnout was 51.13, Shankaran informed.

The Congress candidate in the North East Mumbai constituency, Gurudas Kamat, had lodged a complaint with the EC on election day, alleging breach of the poll code by Deputy Chief Minister Gopinath Munde. Kamat had complainedthat Munde, who is also state home minister, had been giving instructions to police officers in the North East constituency and misusing the administration for the benefit of the BJP candidate Pramod Mahajan. He had also alleged that Munde held a public rally in violation of the time limit laid down for ending the poll campaign. “After having conducted all inquiries into the matter, we have reached the conclusion that the poll code was not violated by either Munde or Mahajan,” Shankaran said.

Overall polling percentage in the state in both the phases has been 59.58, which is up by 7.10 per cent than that in last elections, he pointed out. In the 1996 polls, 52.48 per cent voters had cast their ballots. In the final phase of polling for 24 constituencies in Maharashtra on Saturday, about 55.76 per cent of the 3.02 crore voters exercised their franchise.