Over 47% turnout in Kurla ward bypoll

Of the 43,650 voters,20,650 residents exercised their franchise to elect a corporator from the nine candidates in the fray. Of the people who voted,11,454 were men and 9,196 were women who voted in 27 polling booths.

Results for the election will be declared on Monday.

The seat of Kurla Terminus-Kamgar Nagar ward fell vacant following Shiv Sena corporator Shantaram Naik’s death in September last year.

His son Kamlakar,who is contesting the poll,has stiff competition from the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena’s Manali Lad,wife of Rajendra Lad who is party’s leader in BMC,and Nationalist Congress Party’s (NCP) candidate — Sadanand Thorat.

Six other independent candidates are also in the fray.

The by-election’s result is important for the ruling combine as well as the opposition parties in the BMC,as both have come to a neck-to-neck competition for majority.

From a total of 227 seats,the ruling Shiv Sena-Bharatiya Janata Party combine has 110 seats,while the Congress-NCP and the MNS has 108 seats.

Due to disqualification over caste certificate,the other seats are lying vacant and waiting for a ruling from the Bombay High Court.