Osmanabad records highest voting pc in M’wada

Aurangabad: Osmanabad districts in Marathwada recorded the highest voting percentage (92.38) while Aurangabad registered the lowest voting pc (79.40) in the Teachers Constituency election conducted on Monday.

There were 61,529 voters including 14,749 females. Of them, 53,068 exercised their franchise.

The region recorded 1,018 votes higher in this poll compared to the last elections of 2017. The voting was held in Nanded by 6.30 pm. There will be 100 tables for the counting of votes to be held on February 2.

NCP candidate and sitting MLC Vikram Kale cast his vote in Latur while BJP candidate Kiran Patil voted at the tehsil office of Aurangabad. Marathwada Shikshak Sangh’s Suryakant Vishwasrao exercised his franchised at Kandhar tehsil. Shikshan Sanstha Samanavayak Sangh candidate Manoj Patil did voting at the Railway Station area booth.

Vikram Kale did not open an office for canvassing in the region. He contested the election on the basis of network and three terms of performance. Kiran Patil jumped into the fray on the basis of the party’s network.

The majority of candidates raised the old pension scheme issue during their canvassing.

Deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavi held the then Government responsible for stopping the old pension scheme while opposition leader in the Assembly Ajit Pawar alleged that the ruling Government has adopted the policy of passing time on the old pension scheme point. The family of MLC Kale has had domination over the Constituency since 2004. So, there was an anti-incumbency wave against him. Kiran Patil did canvassing taking benefit of the situation. Pradeep Solunk and Nitin Kulkarni did rebellion from NCP and BJP respectively.

Suryakant Vishwasrao and Manoj Patil visited the different parts of the Constituency. Sanjay Tayde Patil and Kalidas Mane too tried to reach the readers. There were 20 candidates in 2017 and the votes of first preference were divided. There is speculation of repeating the situation this time also.

Box

Who dominated constituency in 50-yrs

Shikshak Sangh dominated the Constituency by 2004. The elections were held first in the Constituency in 1974. Shikshak Sangh’s candidate D K Deshmukh was elected as MLC first time and ruled it until 1986. Rajabhau Udgirkar was elected in 1992 while P G Dasturkar was the MLC until 1998. P M Patil succeeded him. NCP candidate Vasantrao Kale wrested the seat from Shikshak Sangh in 2004. Vikram Kale made a hat-trick between 2006 and 2023. BJP started paying attention fully towards the Constituency in 2006.