Maharashtra Assembly polls: 6.61% voter turnout till 9 am
Mail This Article
Polling for Maharashtra's 288-member assembly began at 7 am on Wednesday and will conclude at 6 pm, with over 9.7 crore voters deciding the fate of 4,136 candidates. The results will be announced on November 23.
The state recorded a 6.61 per cent voter turnout till 9 am, reported PTI. Gadchiroli district witnessed 12.33 per cent turnout in the first two hours of polling. The Armori assembly segment in the district registered 13.53 per cent polling. In the Mumbai suburb, 7.88 per cent turnout was recorded. Bhandup and Mulund suburbs saw 10.59 per cent and 10.71 per cent turnout. Mumbai city recorded 6.25 per cent polling.
The BJP-led Mahayuti alliance, which includes Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde faction) and Ajit Pawar’s NCP, aims to retain power, while the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), comprising Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT), and NCP (Sharad Pawar faction), is vying for a comeback. The BJP is contesting 149 seats, Shiv Sena 81, and the Ajit Pawar-led NCP 59. On the MVA side, Congress has fielded 101 candidates, Shiv Sena (UBT) 95, and NCP (SP) 86.
Smaller parties, including the BSP and AIMIM, are also in the fray, with BSP contesting 237 seats and AIMIM fielding 17 candidates. Independent candidates total 2,086, and over 150 constituencies feature rebel candidates from both major alliances.
This election has seen a significant increase in candidates compared to 2019, with 28% more contestants. The voter roll has also expanded, now totalling 9,70,25,119, including 5 crore male voters, 4.7 crore female voters, and 6,101 transgender voters. PwD voters number 6.41 lakh, while 1.16 lakh are service voters from the armed forces. To accommodate the growing electorate, 1,00,186 polling booths have been set up, an increase from 96,654 in 2019.
The campaign featured prominent leaders like Narendra Modi, Amit Shah, Rahul Gandhi, and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. The Mahayuti alliance leaned on welfare initiatives such as *Majhi Ladki Bahin* to secure support. However, its slogans, including “Batenge toh katenge” and “Ek hai toh safe hai,” faced backlash, with accusations of polarizing voters. Notably, Ajit Pawar distanced himself from the slogans, while Devendra Fadnavis attempted to clarify their intent, causing some internal confusion.
The MVA countered with a focus on social justice, caste-based census demands, and constitutional protection, appealing to voters dissatisfied with the government. The BJP intensified its campaign with advertisements targeting the MVA, highlighting incidents like the 26/11 attacks and the Palghar lynching.
Since the election code of conduct came into effect on October 15, enforcement agencies have seized cash, liquor, drugs, and precious metals worth Rs 252.42 crore. Among these were Rs 63.47 crore in cash and Rs 83.12 crore in precious metals.
Approximately six lakh state employees are managing election duties, ensuring smooth operations. A total of 2,469 complaints regarding model code violations were received via the C-Vigil app, with 99.31% resolved promptly.
