Amravati: Startled by the unexpected turnout of voters during the Amravati division teachers’ constituency polls on Monday, all hopeful candidates are sitting with their fingers crossed as counting of votes will be taken up on Wednesday.
Of the total 35,622 voters, as many as 30,896 exercised their franchise to post an unprecedented percentage of 86.73.
“It is beyond my comprehension,” admitted Sanjay Asole, one of the 27 candidates in fray. Talking to TOI, Asole said he has not seen such a heavy turnout in any of the last seven elections. “This makes predicting the result difficult, but I feel if Shiv Sena’s sitting MLC Shrikant Deshpande gets around 2,500 first preference vote lead, he may well get through.”
Asole was pained that political parties encroached upon the constituency which is exclusively for teachers and candidates not having even their names in the voter list were allowed to contest. “Political parties have brought money and horse-trading tactics in this election, overshadowing teachers’ organizations and their ideologies,” he said.
The highest polling percentage of 91.84 was recorded by Washim district followed by Buldhana with 89.93%, Yavatmal with 88.18%, Akola 84.34% and Amravati, which had the highest number of votes, with 83.15%.
Whether the voters succumbed to the alleged horse-trading by political parties or came out jointly against them will only be known after the counting.
BJP's Dr Nitin Dhande, Shikshak Sangharsh Sanghatana’s Sangita Shinde-Bonde, Avinash Borde of VIJUCTA, Shekhar Bhoyar and Prakash Kaalbaande of Vidarbha Madhyamik Shikshak Sangh were the potential candidates in the race, out to stop Deshpande from entering the legislative council the second time.