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.
One of the candidates from the constituency alleged on Tuesday that the voters were being influenced by 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 the Chandmari slums, complained that the polling process was going on at a very slow pace, especially at NMC's Wathoda High School. At 4.45pm, just 15 minutes before closing of the voting process almost 250 to 300 voters were waiting outside the booth at Bhandewadi Pardi and Dipti Signal area.
A supporter of BJP candidate Krishna Khopde said, "The size of the constituency has been considerably reduced as many areas have been included in the new Nagpur Central and Nagpur South constituencies. Most of the middle class dominated areas from the earlier Nagpur East constituency have been detached from this constituency and now it is dominated by slums like Wathoda, Dipti Signal, Minimata Nagar and Pardi. Wardhaman Nagar and Chhapru Nagar are the only posh area in the constituency, though there are some posh townships in other localities too. A large number of Chhattisgarhi labourers, over 25,000 (as per Lok Sabha election polls) have settled in the constituency. Dalits and Kunbis are also in sizeable number in this constituency, which could change the result for the first time in 25 years."