Over 95 lakh voters are eligible to exercise their franchise on Friday in the first phase of Maharashtra Lok Sabha elections 2024 covering five constituencies, where 97 candidates, including Union minister Nitin Gadkari of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), are in fray.

The voting is scheduled to be held in the constituencies of Nagpur, Ramtek (SC), Bhandara-Gondia, Chandrapur and Naxal-hit Gadchiroli-Chimur (ST), all located in eastern-most parts of Maharashtra.

There are 95,54,667 voters in the five Lok Sabha constituencies in the Vidarbha region where voting will take place on Friday (April 19). Of these, 48,28,142 are male, 47,26,178 female and 347 transgenders voters, said a statement from the state electoral office in Mumbai on Wednesday, according to the PTI.

In Nagpur, a direct fight is on cards between Nitin Gadkari, who is seeking a third term, and Congress candidate Vikas Thakre. The high-profile constituency, which houses the RSS headquarters, has a total of 22,18,259 voters — 11,10, 840 males, 11,07,197 females and 222 transgender persons, as per the PTI.

In Chandrapur, BJP candidate and Maharashtra minister Sudhir Mungantiwar is facing Congress nominee Pratibha Dhanorkar, wife of late parliamentarian Suresh Dhanorkar, who was the lone MP from the grand old party to be elected to the Lok Sabha from Maharashtra in 2019 from the seat. The Congress MP (47) died last year. Chandrapur has a total of 18,36,314 voters, including 9,45,026 males and 8,91,240 females, the PTI reported.

In Bhandara-Gondia, the BJP has fielded sitting MP Sunil Mendhe, who is pitted against Congress candidate Dr Prashant Patole. Bhandara-Gondia has a total of 18,75,106 voters (9,36,041 males, 9,39,056 females and 12 transgenders), as per the PTI.

Two-time Lok Sabha MP of BJP, Ashok Nete, is contesting against Congress nominee Dr Namdev Kirsan in Gadchiroli-Chimur (ST), where some areas are affected Naxal insurgency. In the 2019 elections, Nete had defeated Congress candidate Dr Namdev Usendi. The constituency has 16,12,930 voters (8,11,836 males, 8,01,082 females and 12 transgenders.

In Ramtek (SC), the fight is between Shyamkumar Barwe of the Congress and Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena`s candidate Raju Parwe. The constituency has a total of 20,45,717 voters (10,43,266 males, 10,02,396 females and 55 transgenders).

According to the news agency, the statement from the state electoral office said five assembly segments (spread across two Lok Sabha seats, including Naxal-hit Gadchiroli-Chimur), will vote between 7 am and 3 pm, unlike other areas where voters can exercise their franchise until 6 pm.

“The assembly segments of Amgaon, Armori, Gadchiroli and Aheri (Gadchiroli-Chimur Lok Sabha constituency) and Arjune Morgaon (Bhandara-Gondia LS seat) will have voting between 7 am and 3 pm. This decision has been taken because most of the voting booths in these segments are located in remote locations, and the region is known for Naxalite activities,” said a poll official, the PTI reported on Thursday.

Gadchiroli-Chimur is the largest parliamentary constituency in the state, chiefly because its remote villages are separated by vast dense forest regions. This Lok Sabha constituency consists of Amgaon assembly segment from Gondia district, Armori, Gadchiroli, and Aheri segments from Gadchiroli district, and Bramhapuri and Chimur segments from Chandrapur district.

Maharashtra, which has 48 Lok Sabha seats, the second highest after Uttar Pradesh, will vote in five phases between April 19 and May 20.

(with PTI inputs)

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