MUMBAI, February 23: Contrary to initial reports, the 24 parliamentary constituencies that went to polls on Sunday, witnessed a hefty eight to nine per cent increase in polling compared with the 1996 general elections.The State Election Commission today revised the polling percentage in the first phase to 61 as against 52 in the last general elections.
Though polling percentages increased across all parts of the state that voted on Sunday, of particular interest was the fact that the increase was manifest more strongly in those constituencies where Sonia Gandhi had addressed rallies. In Bhandara, the turnout was 72.30 per cent against 67 during the last elections, while in Dhule and Nandurbar district, it was 46.09 and 54.37 per cent against 36.23 and 50.25 per cent respectively during the last elections.
In Latur, though the increase was a modest three per cent, in the neighbouring reserved constituency of Osmanabad, it went up from 53.25 per cent to 59 per cent. In Nanded, it was up from 55 per centto 61 per cent, while in Jalgaon, it increased from 49.32 per cent to 58.73 per cent. In the reserved Buldhana constituency, the increase was from 59 per cent to 66.50 per cent.The Congress was quick to give credit to Sonia Gandhi and suggest that the voting pattern was indicative of a change in the electorate's mood.
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
