Graduates Turnout Lags At 62.78%, Teachers Record 85.87% In Pune Division Polls

Pune: The Pune Division Graduates’ Constituency recorded a voter turnout of 62.78%, significantly lower than the 85.87% polling registered in the Teachers’ Constituency, according to interim figures released by the election administration on Friday. Across both constituencies, 2,96,796 votes were recorded out of 4,49,959 registered voters, translating into a combined turnout of 65.96%.

Polling for the Maharashtra Legislative Council elections was held from 8 am to 4 pm across Pune, Satara, Solapur, Sangli and Kolhapur districts, where the administration had established 1,051 polling stations. A total of 47 candidates contested the Graduates’ Constituency, while 30 candidates were in the fray for the Teachers’ Constituency.

The sharp difference between the two constituencies emerged as the most striking feature of the interim turnout figures. Of the 3,88,019 registered graduate voters, 2,43,611 cast their ballots. In comparison, 53,185 of the 61,940 registered teachers voted, reflecting substantially higher participation among teachers.

According to the figures released by the election department of Pune, it indicates that graduate voters accounted for the larger share of the electorate but recorded considerably lower participation. While nearly 63 out of every 100 registered graduates voted, more than 85 out of every 100 registered teachers exercised their franchise.

Solapur leads graduate turnout; Pune trails in teachers’ constituency

Among the five districts, Solapur recorded the highest turnout in the Graduates’ Constituency at 71.42%, with 35,513 votes polled out of 49,722 registered voters. Satara followed at 66.92%, with 31,764 votes cast out of 47,463 voters, while Kolhapur registered 63.83%, with 73,129 votes cast out of 1,14,562 registered voters.

Pune recorded a turnout of 61.47%, with 54,221 votes cast against 88,202 registered voters. Sangli recorded the lowest turnout at 55.62%, with 48,984 votes cast out of 88,070 registered voters. The gap between Solapur and Sangli stood at 15.80% points, highlighting considerable variation in participation across the division.

The Teachers’ Constituency presented a contrasting picture, with turnout exceeding 85% in four of the five districts. Satara topped the list at 89.39%, followed by Solapur at 89%, Kolhapur at 88.62% and Sangli at 87.83%. Pune recorded the lowest turnout in this constituency at 78.08%.

In Pune district, 13,135 of the 16,822 registered teachers voted. Although this was the lowest district-level turnout in the Teachers’ Constituency, it remained considerably higher than Pune’s 61.47% participation among graduate voters.

Gender-wise participation

The interim figures also show differences in participation by gender. In the Graduates’ Constituency, 1,68,382 men and 75,227 women voted, along with two voters from the third-gender category. In the Teachers’ Constituency, 33,302 men and 19,880 women cast their ballots, along with three third-gender voters.

The election administration has clarified that the figures are interim and that the final turnout percentage will be determined after scrutiny of the polling records and ballot accounts.

Minal Kalaskar, Pune Deputy District Election Officer, told The Free Press Journal, “The interim figures show that the Teachers’ Constituency recorded a significantly higher turnout of 85.87%, compared to 62.78% in the Graduates’ Constituency. The lower participation among graduate voters could be attributed to factors such as work commitments, migration for employment and voters residing away from their registered constituencies. However, these factors would require further assessment. The difference in turnout highlights the need for stronger voter awareness and participation initiatives ahead of future elections. The final voting figures will be confirmed after scrutiny of all polling records. We will share the final list as soon as work is completed.”