Mumbai records lowest voter turnout while Gadchiroli district tops in voter turnout at 69.63 pc

Mumbai, Maharashtra, recorded a voter turnout of 58.75% in the elections to 288 assembly seats held on Wednesday, with Naxal-affected Gadchiroli district registering the highest turnout at 69.63%, while Mumbai City reported the lowest at 49%, according to election officials. The voting process witnessed sporadic incidents of violence as political heavyweights, Bollywood stars, and business leaders joined citizens to cast their votes. The provisional turnout figures are slightly lower than the 61.74% recorded in the 2019 assembly elections. The electoral fate of 4,136 candidates, including 2,086 independents, was sealed in EVMs. Votes will be counted on November 23.

By-Election in Nanded

A voter turnout of 53.78% was recorded for the Nanded Lok Sabha by-poll, necessitated by the death of Congress MP Vasant Chavan.

Political Alliances and Seats Contested

Mahayuti (Ruling Alliance): BJP contested 149 seats, NCP (Ajit Pawar faction) 59, and Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) 81.
Maha Vikas Aghadi (Opposition Alliance): Congress contested 101 seats, NCP (Sharad Pawar faction) 86, and Shiv Sena (UBT faction) 95.

District and Constituency Highlights

Highest Turnout: Gadchiroli district, with 69.63%.
- Aheri: 68.43%
- Armori: 71.26%
- Gadchiroli: 69.22%
Lowest Turnout: Mumbai City district, at 49.07%.
- Colaba: 41.64%
- Mahim: 55.23%
- Worli: 47.50%
- Shivadi: 51.70%
- Malabar Hill: 50.08%

Mumbai Suburban fared slightly better at 52.67%, with areas like Bhandup registering 60.18%.

Key Politicians’ Constituencies

Chief Minister Eknath Shinde (Kopri-Pachpakhadi, Thane): 55.77% turnout.
Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis (Nagpur South-West): 51.54% turnout.
Deputy CM Ajit Pawar (Baramati, Pune): 62.31% turnout.

Overall, Nagpur district recorded 56.19%, and Pune district had 54.21% voter turnout.

Incidents of Violence

Parli (Beed District):
- Clashes occurred between rival party supporters, leading to vandalism at a polling booth in Ghatnandur. An EVM was thrown to the ground, and furniture was damaged.
- Sharad Pawar-led NCP worker Madhav Jadhav was assaulted, with a viral video sparking tensions.
Nandgaon (Nashik District):
- A clash broke out between Shiv Sena candidate Suhas Kande and independent candidate Sameer Bhujbal.

Increased Candidate and Booth Numbers

The number of candidates rose by 28% compared to 2019, with rebels contesting in over 150 constituencies.
Polling booths increased to 1,00,186, up from 96,654 in 2019, including 1,181 booths set up in high-rises and housing societies to encourage voter participation.

Despite challenges, Maharashtra witnessed active participation, setting the stage for a decisive political outcome on November 23.