An Independent candidate from Beed suffered a massive heart attack while he was awaiting his turn to vote at a polling station in Maharashtra on Wednesday, said the police. The man was rushed to a hospital where doctors declared him brought dead.
Maharashtra today voted across 288 seats to elect a new government. The votes will be counted on November 23.
Balasaheb Shinde just dropped to the ground at Chhatrapati Shahu Vidyalaya voting centre in Beed. He was first taken to Kaku Nana hospital in Beed and then to Chhatrapati Shambhaji Nagar hospital, where doctors declared him brought dead. The body has been sent for post-mortem, said police.
According to the Representation of the People Act 1951, if a candidate dies during the election, then voting on the concerned seat can be postponed under Section 52.
The Beed assembly seat was once a stronghold of the Sharad Pawar’s Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). Post split, Ajit Pawar represents one faction of NCP, which is in alliance with the BJP and Eknath Shinde led Shiv Sena.
In Maharashtra the main contest is between Mahayuti (led by BJP, Eknath Shinde’s Sena and Ajit Pawar’s NCP) and Maha Vikas Aghadi (led by Congress, Uddhav Thackeray’s Sena and Sharad Pawar’s NCP) alliance.