LokSabha 2019: Low Pune turnout at 52%

PUNE: The Election Commission (EC), in a press briefing, said Pune and Baramati Lok Sabha elections on Tuesday were hassle-free and peaceful with some minor complaints. According to the EC, the estimated turnout was around 52 per cent in Pune and 61 per cent in Baramati. The turnout figure can be finalised only after completion of data  entry, according to officials.

Pune District Collector Naval Kishore Ram was concerned with the voting turnout not increasing despite special efforts. Last Lok Sabha elections, the voters’ turnout in Pune was 54.14 per cent and in Baramati it was 58.83 per cent. 

Addressing a press conference, Ram said, “We received complaints of missing names in voters’ list in Pune Cantonment area, which may have happened while deleting double entries. There were no issues about EVMs in Pune constituency and but there were five VVPAT malfunctions registered. During the election, around 4 to 5 per cent machines malfunction. So it is not a big issue. At SSPMS High School, a voter complained that he voted for a party on EVM but VVPAT reflected a different party. A test vote was conducted again in the presence of the presiding officer and eventually the claim was found to be wrong. A probe  will be conducted against the person who made this claim.”

“At Shivaji Maratha High School, Kasba Peth there was an allegation that the polling officer was influencing voters to vote for a particular party,” he said.

He said, “We will take action after receiving complaints today and tomorrow. However, no one has registered written complaints so far.” 

Meanwhile, there were complaints of malfunctioning EVMs in Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose High School at Yerawada. Therefore, voting was kept on hold for more than one-and-half hours. 

In 305 polling booths, residents of Yaswantnagar area were in queue for voting. Residents registered complaints regarding problems that they faced with the VVPAT machines at 2.30 pm. The EVM was replaced with another machine and after that voting continued.