Assembly polls: Maharashtra records 45.53 pc voter turnout by 3 pm; 61.47 pc polling in Jharkhand

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], November 20 (ANI): After a sluggish start, voter turnout in Maharashtra started to pick up, reaching 45.53 per cent by 3.00 pm in the single-phase assembly elections on Wednesday. Meanwhile, Jharkhand recorded comparatively a higher voter turnout of 61.47 per cent in the second phase of assembly polls in Jharkhand as of 3 pm, according to the Election Commission of India (ECI).
A naxal hit Gadchiroli district in Maharashtra recorded the highest voter turnout of 62.99 per cent, while the district of Thane recorded the lowest voter turnout of 38.94 per cent and Mumbai city recorded 39.34 per cent till 3 pm, as per the data of the Election Commission of India (ECI).
As per the data of the ECI, Mumbai Suburban recorded a voter turnout of 40.89 per cent, Nagpur 44.45 per cent, Aurangabad 47.05 per cent, Pune 41.70 per cent, Nashik 46.86 per cent, Satara 49.82 per cent, Dhule 47.62 per cent, Palghar 46.82 per cent, Ratnagiri 50.04 per cent, Nanded 42.87 per cent and Latur 48.34 per cent.
In the second phase of assembly polls, Jharkhand recorded a turnout of 61.47 per cent till 3 pm, with Pakur district with the highest turnout of 69.31 per cent, while Dhanbad with the lowest turnout of 56.32 per cent.
As per the ECI, Deoghar recorded a turnout of 64.55 per cent, Dumka 64.79 per cent, Giridih 60.57 per cent, Hazaribagh 58.16 per cent, Jamtara 68.24 per cent, Ramgarh 66.02 per cent, Ranchi 65.84 per cent and Sahebganj 60.08 per cent.
The voter turnout for the Nanded Parliamentary constituency in Maharashtra was recorded at 41.58 per cent till 3 pm.
As by-polls are also underway on several seats, Kedarnath in Uttarakhand recorded a turnout of 47 per cent while Palakkad in Kerala recorded a 54.11 per cent turnout till 3 pm.
In the bye-elections of Punjab, a voter turnout for Gidderbaha was recorded at 65.80 per cent, Dera Baba Nanak at 52.20 per cent, Barnala at 40 per cent and Chabbewal at 40.25 per cent.
As of 3 pm, in Uttar Pradesh by-polls, Meerapur recorded a voter turnout of 49.06 per cent, Majhwan 43.64 per cent, Khair 39.86 per cent, Phulpur 36.58 per cent, Kundarki 50.03 per cent, Karhal 44.70 per cent, Katehari 49.29 per cent, Ghaziabad 27.44 per cent and Sishmau 40.29 per cent.
Voting began at 7 am on Wednesday for the single phase of 288 seats of the Maharashtra assembly elections and the second phase of the Jharkhand Assembly elections, covering the remaining 38 seats.
The results for all the seats in Maharashtra and Jharkhand and by-poll sets will be announced on November 23. (ANI)