Lokmat News Network

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar:

In the recently held Lok Sabha elections, approximately 1366 out of the 2898 polling stations in the district recorded around 1200 votes each. Due to the high number of voters, these polling stations became overloaded, presenting a challenge to the election administration to increase the voter turnout percentage.

The Aurangabad Lok Sabha Constituency saw a voter turnout of 63.1 percent. The Election Commission is considering having one polling station for every 1000 voters and has decided to establish polling stations within cooperative housing societies. This decision aims to increase the voter turnout by having smaller polling stations.

The district has 32 polling stations with 300 voters each. There are 1500 polling stations with up to 1100 voters; 314 with 1200 voters; 324 with 1300 voters; 317 with 1400 voters; 253 with 1500 voters; 86 with 1600 voters and 72 with more than 1600 voters, totalling 2898 polling stations in the district.

Only 32 polling stations with 300 voters

There are nine assembly constituencies in the district, of which only 32 polling stations have a voter count of 300, with one in the city and 31 in rural areas. In the West constituency, 38 polling stations have more than 1600 voters, while 60 polling stations have 1500 voters each.

Polling stations in large buildings, societies

District Collector Deelip Swami said, “In the upcoming general elections for the Legislative Assembly, polling stations will be set up in cooperative housing societies. The office-bearers of these societies are urged to cooperate with the administration. The Election Commission has instructed that polling stations be established in large buildings in major cities. District registrars will be directed to implement these instructions, and organise meetings of society presidents and secretaries, accordingly.”

Box

Number of polling stations with high voter count by assembly constituency:

Sillod: 144

Kannad: 111

Phulambri: 155

Aurangabad Central: 187

Aurangabad West: 212

Aurangabad East: 184

Paithan: 121

Gangapur: 143 and

Vaijapur: 110

Total: 1367