Lok Sabha Elections 2024: People in Govardhan village of Nashik declare to boycott voting on May 20

Lok Sabha Elections 2024: Alleging corruption by Gram Sevak, people in the Govardhan village of Nashik in Maharashtra have declared to boycott the voting in the May 20 polls in the fifth phase of Lok Sabha elections. 13 Lok Sabha seats of Maharashtra, including Nashik, will go to the polls on May 20 in the fifth phase of the Lok Sabha elections.

Reacting to the boycott, Nashik District Magistrate Jalaj Sharma told ANI that the administration is assuring them that their problems will be solved and they should not go for a boycott.

"We have received information that they have declared to boycott (the voting). We are speaking to them and telling them that their problems will be solved, but they should not go for a boycott. There is a set of rules to handle any kind of corruption. There is a mechanism for complaint and redressal. Action will be taken against any such person. I request the representative of the village to come and meet us. We will try to solve the problem through talks," the DM said.

Hemant Godse, a candidate from Chief Minister Eknath Shinde-led Shivena is in the electoral fray against Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray (UBT) faction's Rajabhau Waje on the Nashik seat.

Meanwhile, voting was concluded on 11 seats from Maharashtra in the fourth phase on Monday.

These 11 seats were: Nandurbar, Jalgaon, Raver, Jalna, Aurangabad, Maval, Pune, Shirur, Ahmednagar, Shirdi and Beed.

The BJP has contested on seven seats in the fourth phase in Maharashtra while its allies Shiv Sena and Nationalist Congress Party on three and one respectively.

In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP won 23 out of 25 contested seats, while the undivided Shiv Sena secured 18 out of 23 seats. Elections to the 48 Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra are being held in five phases on April 19, April 26, May 7, May 13, and May 20. The counting of votes will be held on June 4.