Nagpur (Maharashtra): As the voting commenced for the Lok Sabha elections 2024, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) leader Mohan Bhagwat exercised his franchise promptly on Friday morning.
Displaying his ink-stained finger as a mark of his civic duty, the Sangh leader called upon all eligible citizens to participate actively and cast their ballots. “Voting is both a privilege and a responsibility,” Bhagwat articulated. “We should aim for full voter turnout. I have performed my civic duty,” he asserted.
In the easternmost regions of Maharashtra, encompassing Nagpur, Ramtek (SC), Bhandara-Gondia, Chandrapur, and the insurgency-affected Gadchiroli-Chimur (ST) constituencies, a total of 97 candidates are in contention, including Union minister Nitin Gadkari.
In Nagpur, an intense electoral contest unfolds between veteran BJP figure Gadkari, seeking re-election for the third time, and Congress nominee Vikas Thakre. This prominent constituency, home to the RSS headquarters, boasts a voter base of 22,18,259 individuals—split nearly evenly across genders and including 222 transgender voters.
During the 2019 elections, Gadkari secured a resounding victory with 55.7% of the vote, outpacing the Maharashtra Congress President Nana Patole by a margin of 2,16,009 votes. In the 2014 elections, Gadkari triumphed over Congress stalwart Vilas Muttemwar by a margin of 2,84,828 votes. Voting is underway for the first phase of the 2024 Lok Sabha Elections across 102 constituencies spanning 21 states, including several other districts within Maharashtra.
