51% voter turnout in Pune

Pune, Feb 16: An estimated 51 per cent voters on Thursday exercised their franchise in the polls to the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), official sources said. Barring a few minor incidents of unruly behaviour by party activists, the polling passed off peacefully, they said.

As many as 1,180 candidates were in the fray for the 152 seats of PMC which has with a total electorate of about 25.58 lakh. Among the early voters were city Congress MP Suresh Kalmadi, currently under suspension from the party following the CWG scam, and outgoing Mayor Mohansingh Rajpal of NCP.

A salient feature of the polls was absence of a pre- poll alliance between Congress and NCP -- both coalition partners at the State and Central levels. Shiv Sena-BJP combine, joined by RPI faction led by Ramdas Athavale, forged an alliance to take on Congress and Sharad Pawar-led NCP.

Raj Thackeray-led MNS, too, had fielded its candidates, hoping to increase its marginal presence in the outgoing House, ruled by NCP.

PTI