Maharashtra averages 56% voting in 7 LS seats

Nagpur: Maharashtra recorded a provisional average voting of around 56 percent in the seven Lok Sabha constituencies that voted on Thursday in the first phase of the Lok Sabha polls, an official said.

Surprisingly, the highest voter turnout - 62 per cent - was notched in the Maoist-affected Gadchiroli-Chimur and the lowest - 52 per cent - in Ramtek (reserved for SCs).

The two seats had recorded 69.88 and 62.62 per cent voting respectively in the 2014 polls.

The other constituencies' voting percentages figures were: Bhandara-Gondiya (61 per cent against 72.3 in 2014), Chandrapur (56 per cent against 63.28), Wardha (56 against 64.79), Nagpur (54 per cent against 57.08) and Yavatmal-Washim (55 against 59.25).

An Election Commission official said that in some polling stations, voting continued till well past the closing hour and now the final figures will be available only by early Friday morning.

A total 116 candidates were in the fray for these seven constituencies on Thursday.