56.2% turnout in Rahuri bypoll till 6pm

Nashik: The Rahuri assembly bypoll in Ahilyanagar district recorded a voter turnout of 56.2% till 6pm on Thursday — lower than the 74.52% voter participation recorded in the 2024 assembly polls.The byelection, necessitated after the death of BJP MLA Shivajirao Kardile, was conducted peacefully across 374 polling stations amid tight security arrangements. Polling began at 7am and continued till evening, with officials noting a steady rise in voter participation as the day progressed.The constituency saw a sluggish start to polling, registering just 6.4% turnout till 9am. Participation picked up pace thereafter, with 11.8% voters casting their ballots between 9am and 11am, taking the cumulative turnout to 18.2%. The turnout rose to 29.6% by 1pm and further to 39.7% by 3pm, before crossing the halfway mark at 56.2% by 5pm.According to election department data, as many as 1,69,244 of a total electorate of 3,33,545 exercised their franchise till 5pm.Seven candidates are in the fray, including BJP's Akshay Kardile, son of the late MLA Shivajirao Kardile, NCP (SP) nominee Govind Mokate and independent candidate Ravsaheb (Rahul) Khevare, a rebel from Shiv Sena (UBT). The counting of votes is scheduled for May 4.After casting his vote, Akshay described the bypoll as being held under unfortunate circumstances, but said he was confident voters would express their sentiments through the ballot. "The voters of Rahuri are like my family and I am confident of winning the bypoll," he said.NCP (SP) candidate Mokate also expressed confidence, claiming strong public support. Alleging inadequate development in the constituency during the BJP's tenure, Mokate said he was contesting the election with a clear focus on development.Independent candidate Khevare said his objective was the overall development of Rahuri taluka.