A total of 2,55,603 graduates are registered to vote in the Nagpur Division Graduates’ Constituency election to the Maharashtra Legislative Council will cast their votes on Friday. Total 445 polling stations have been set up across six districts of the division, according to the Election Department. Bharatiya Janata Party has fielded Sudhakar Kohale while Congress had already announced the name of sitting MLC Adv Abhijeet Wanjari as its candidate. For the first time, people witnessed rebel in the election. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis immediately intervened into the matter. He met Prof Anil Sole and convinced him.

 

 

This time, BJP showed pro-activeness as Fadnavis himself convened meetings with people from all strata. Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, the stalwart leaders addressed several meetings, met people from all fields and campaigned for Sudhakar Kohale. Vocational Instructors Teachers’ Association have also declared support to Kohale. Abhijeet Wanjari took advantage of early announcement of his name. He ensured proper booth management in all the districts and with the support of senior leaders held meetings and rallies in all the six districts.

 

The electorate comprises 1,47,280 men, 1,08,301 women and 22 voters belonging to ‘other’ category. Nagpur has the highest number of registered voters at 1,44,466, while Gadchiroli has the lowest at 13,608. According to district-wise data, Chandrapur has 32,262 voters, followed by Gondia with 22,176, Wardha with 21,742 and Bhandara with 21,349. Nagpur district has the highest number of polling stations at 246, followed by Chandrapur with 58, Wardha with 41, Gondia with 39, Bhandara with 35 and Gadchiroli with 26. Nagpur district has 76,754 men, 67,690 women and 22 voters in the ‘other’ category, taking the total electorate to 1,44,466. Bhandara has 13,247 men and 8,102 women voters, while Gondia has 13,965 men and 8,211 women voters. Wardha has 13,099 men and 8,643 women voters. Chandrapur has 20,905 men and 11,357 women voters, while Gadchiroli has 9,310 men and 4,298 women voters. 

 

 

The division has 14,197 voters with disabilities, including 8,933 men, 5,262 women and two voters in ‘other’ category. Nagpur district accounts for highest number of voters with disabilities at 8,064 followed by Chandrapur with 1,947, Gondia with 1,887, Bhandara with 1,034, Gadchiroli with 679 and Wardha with 586. 

 

The division has 855 voters aged above 80 years, comprising 738 men and 117 women. Nagpur district accounts for 721 voters in this age group, followed by Bhandara and Wardha with 36 each, Chandrapur with 34, Gondia with 24 and Gadchiroli with four. The figures highlight significant number of graduate voters in Nagpur district, which accounts for more than half of electorates across six districts.

 

 

The Maharashtra Government has directed that special casual leave be granted to eligible voters employed in Government establishments to enable them to exercise their franchise in biennial elections to three graduate and two teachers’ constituencies of the Maharashtra Legislative Council. The leave will be in addition to the casual leave admissible to them. The special casual leave provision, however, does not apply to voters employed in private establishments. The Divisional Commissioners and Returning Officers concerned have, therefore, been requested to issue instructions to private establishments to allow eligible employees a special concession of four hours to cast their votes.