Most localities in Nagpur East assembly constituency, like Bhandewadi, Pardi, Dipti Signal, Minimata Nagar, Wathoda, Hivri Nagar etc, are known
as slum areas with illiterate populations. However, the voters here appeared to be 'educated' enough to come out and exercise their right to vote. This constituency is estimated to have polled a little over 57% votes, the highest among the six constituencies in Nagpur. There were a total 2,82,800 voters (1,50,160 male and 1,32,739 female).
Bhandewadi is well known for the NMC dumping yard while Wathoda is known for its unauthorized layouts and slums. However, polling booths at Bramhanand Vidyalaya, Adarsha Sanskar Vidyalaya and NMC Wathoda High School witnessed serpentine queues since 7am. The polling percentage here at 9am was 7.05% and had reached 16% by 11am.
The 'posh' localities like Wardhaman Nagar and Chhapru Nagar saw slow voting right from the morning. At Wathoda, Bhandewadi, Dipti Signal and Mini Mata Nagar, female voters started coming out late in the morning after completing household work. By 3pm, the polling percentage had swelled to 44.58% due to the large number of female voters from the slum pockets that thronged the polling booths the entire afternoon.
The polling was held amid tight security at all polling booths. There were no reports of any untoward incidents anywhere, except a minor complaint of a technical snag at an EVM in Minimata Nagar, an election official told TOI.
The constituency is witnessing a straight fight between five-time Congress MLA Satish Chaturvedi and former standing committee chairman and BJP candidate Krishna Khopde. A candidate alleged on Tuesday that the voters were being influenced by other candidates. However, officials denied any such incident and said the polling passed off peacefully.
At Wathoda, a few female voters who had come on bicycles from Chandmari slums, complained the polling process was very slow, especially at NMC's Wathoda High School. At 4.45pm, just 15 minutes before end of voting 250 to 300 voters were waiting outside some booths.