Headlines
Moderate turnout in Maharashtra assembly by-polls
Mumbai/Sangli, April 11
Voting ended
peacefully for the by-polls to Bandra East (Mumbai) and
Tasgaon-Kavthemahankal (Sangli) assembly constituencies in Maharashtra
on Saturday, officials said.
As per tentative estimates, a modest
43 percent and 45 percent polling were recorded in Bandra East and
Tasgaon-Kavthemahankal respectively.
The elections were
necessitated by the demise of sitting Bandra East legislator Bala
Sawant, a senior Shiv Sena leader and Tasgaon-Kavthemahankal legislator
R. R. Patil, former deputy chief minister and Nationalist Congress Party
leader.
In Bandra East, Congress strongman and former chief
minister Narayan T. Rane has locked horns with Shiv Sena's Trupti
Sawant, widow of Bala Sawant, and All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul
Muslimeen's Raja Rehbar Khan.
In Tasgaon-Kavthemahankal, Patil's
widow Suman R. Patil contested with the support of all major state
parties, barring Bharatiya Janata Party rebel Swapnil Patil.
Former
Congress MP Nilesh Rane was detained by police in Bandra for allegedly
flouting poll norms by roaming near polling stations along with party
supporters.
His enraged father and Congress candidate Narayan
Rane lodged a protest against what he termed "wrongful detention" and
accused the ruling BJP-Shiv Sena government of misusing official
machinery to intimidate rival candidates.
"My son Nilesh has been
detained illegally by police. The state government is misusing its
power since they are going to be defeated in this constituency," Rane
told the media.
He warned that if any Shiv Sena leaders or state
ministers were found moving illegally in the constituency or illegally
campaigning for their party candidates, he would stop them and ensure
suitable action against them.
The counting will be done on April 15.