Three municipal corporations go to polls in Maharashtra

Polling is underway in three municipal corporations -- Chandrapur, Latur and Parbhani -- in Maharashtra on Wednesday.

The stakes are especially high for the ruling BJP as it is not in power in any of these three corporations and is looking to make inroads.

According to the State Election Commission, till 1.30 pm, 29.2 per cent, 37.31 per cent and 34 per cent voter turn-out had been registered in Chandrapur, Parbhani and Latur, respectively.

Chandrapur is the home turf of senior BJP leader and Finance Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar. At present Congress is in power in this 66-member civic body.

As many as 460 candidates are in the fray whose fate will be decided by 3.02 lakh voters.

In the 70-member Latur corporation, it will a test of political clout for BJP leader and state minister Sambhajirao Nilangekar and the local Congress MLA Amit Deshmukh.

Congress, which controls the corporation, had got a drubbing in the recent local body polls in Latur district.

The city had faced acute water crisis last year and government had to transport water by railway waggons at the peak of summer.

Here 407 candidates are in the fray whose fate will be decided by 2.78 lakh voters.

In the 65-member Parbhani municipal corporation, the battle is mainly between the incumbent NCP and Shiv Sena.

It will be a test for district guardian minister and senior Sena leader Diwakar Raote. There are 418 candidates in the fray; number of voters is 2.12 lakh.