A tragic incident occurred in the Satara district of Maharashtra during polling for the Assembly elections. A 67-year-old voter, Sham Dhaygude, suffered a fatal heart attack while casting his vote in Morve village of Khandala taluka. The news of his sudden demise has left the local community in mourning.
Polling began at 7 AM in the constituency, which includes Khandala, Mahabaleshwar, and Wai. Voter enthusiasm was evident, with women, youth, and elderly citizens turning out in large numbers. However, this unfortunate incident has cast a shadow of grief over the region.
Also Read | Low Voter Turnout in Maharashtra at 45.53%, Jharkhand Records 61.47% Till 3 PM; Lowest in Thane.
As of 1 PM, Gadchiroli district recorded the highest voter turnout in the state at 50.89%, while Mumbai city reported the lowest turnout at 27.73%. Voting across the state will continue until 5 PM, with the expectation of a rise in participation by the end of the day.
In another shocking incident, an independent candidate, Balasaheb Shinde, contesting from the Beed Assembly Constituency, died of a heart attack at a polling station. Shinde was stationed at the Chhatrapati Shahu Vidyalaya polling centre in Beed city when he collapsed. Despite being rushed to private hospitals in Beed and later in Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar, doctors pronounced him dead. This incident has left the political and local communities grieving the loss of a candidate who had actively campaigned in the area.