97.92% turnout in Satara district bank polls; 28 candidates contest 12 seats

The Satara District Central Cooperative Bank election saw record polling this time. Across all 11 talukas of the district there were 2,021 voters in all, of whom 1,979 cast their votes, putting turnout at 97.92 per cent.

A political tussle over who will control the bank had been under way for several days. Twenty-eight candidates were in the fray for 12 seats, and their fate is now sealed in the ballot boxes. Counting will be held on November 3, and it will set the next direction of the district's cooperative politics.

The election was a prestige battle from the start. Equations within the Mahayuti, shows of strength by leaders and local-level political rivalries made the contest a close one. On polling day too, leaders' teams remained active for every single vote. The contests in Karad, Patan, Man, Mahabaleshwar and Phaltan in particular kept the atmosphere heated.

In the taluka-wise figures, Patan led with 98.99 per cent. Satara recorded 98.73 per cent and Karad 98.21 per cent. Koregaon, Khandala and Wai talukas saw 100 per cent polling. Jaoli recorded 94.20 per cent, Mahabaleshwar 90.20, Khatav 96.66, Man 96.74 and Phaltan 96.19 per cent. Of the voters who turned out, 1,818 were men and 161 were women.

MP Udayanraje Bhosale and Public Works Minister Shivendrasinhraje Bhosale voted at the ITI centre in Satara. The presence of the BJP's core team also drew attention. Shivendrasinhraje is not himself a candidate, yet his role in planning the election and in the political mobilisation was significant. He also visited Satara and Medha to review the polling process.

Speculation is now under way over what such high turnout means. Some see it as support for the ruling camp, while others say it could reflect resentment against long-entrenched leaders. There is curiosity over which side the trend will favour in the talukas that recorded 100 per cent polling. The prestige contests in Karad and Patan, and the splitting of votes in Man and Mahabaleshwar, could change the arithmetic of the result.

It would not be wise for any camp to assume victory merely because turnout has risen. Only after the ballot boxes are opened on November 3 will it become clear what the real tally of the leaders' shows of strength was. The whole district is watching to see who will wear the crown of power at the district bank.