Voters’ apathy, scorching heat, EVM glitches mar turnout in Palghar and Bhandara-Gondia bypolls in Maharashtra

Palghar and Bhandara-Gondia parliamentary constituencies witnessed low voter turnout amid a row over technical glitches in EVMs. By 6pm, Palghar registered 46.5% votes and Bhandara-Gondia saw 42.5%.

Palghar and Bhandara-Gondia parliamentary constituencies witnessed low voter turnout amid a row over technical glitches in EVMs. By 6pm, Palghar registered 46.5% votes and Bhandara-Gondia saw 42.5%.

The by-elections in Palghar and Bhandara-Gondia are significant for the BJP which won both the seats in 2014. (HT/Pramod Tahkur)

This is in sharp in contrast to the 2014 general elections when 62.91% and 72.31% voting was registered in Palghar and Bhandra-Gondia respectively. The low turnout is being attributed to lack of interest among voters since it’s a by-election, the scorching heat and also technical glitches in voting machines.

The by-elections are significant for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) which won both the seats in 2014. The bypoll in Palghar was necessitated due to the death of sitting BJP MP Chintaman Wanga.

In the case of Bhandara-Gondia, sitting MP Nana Patole quit the BJP after alleging that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was not paying any attention to the problems of the farmers in the region.

Palghar has become a BJP versus ally Shiv Sena fight as the latter fielded Wanga’s son Shrinivas. The BJP, in turn, fielded Congress turncoat Rajendra Gavit.

Congress’ Damodar Shingda and local outfit Bahujan Vikas Aghadi’s Baliram Jadhav — both former MPs — are also in the fray.