Rain affects voting for Council seat polls

Mumbai: Voting in Mumbai and Konkan for election to the teachers’ and graduates’ Legislative Council constituencies was adversely affected by heavy rainfall. Election to two teachers’ and two graduates’ constituencies was held.

Mumbai saw election to the teachers’ and graduates’ constituencies, while Konkan witnessed election to the graduates’ constituency comprising Thane and Palghar districts.  

Voting in the Mumbai teachers’ constituency was 83.26 per cent while that in the Mumbai graduates’ constituency was 53.23 per cent. Voting in the Konkan graduates’ constituency was 73.89 per cent. The downpour in Mumbai and surrounding cities had a negative impact on voting. Meanwhile, voting in the Nashik teachers’ constituency was 92.30 per cent.

In Mumbai, three major candidates claimed they would win. Shiv Sena candidate Vilas Potnis said that the party’s already established network had helped him. “The Mumbai graduates’ constituency has been a bastion of the Sena. Our Shiv Sainiks have worked extremely hard this time as well,” he said.

Mumbai BJP chief Ashish Shelar, too, claimed that victory would be theirs. After voting for the graduates’ constituency along with his wife, he said, “We are contesting this seat after 20 years. It was with Sena as per the alliance. But we are sure that this time we will win the election as our cadre is charged about having our own candidate.”

Both the Konkan and Mumbai graduates’ constituencies will witness a neck-and-neck battle this time, with ruling partners BJP and Sena contesting against each other on
all seats.