Pune: An estimated 51 percent voters
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
First Published: Thursday, February 16, 2012, 22:33