India General Elections 2024: 54.22 pc turnout in Maharashtra in 5th phase of LS polls

Pic/AFP

A voter turnout of 54.22 per cent was recorded in Maharashtra, where polling was held in 13 Lok Sabha constituencies, including half a dozen in Mumbai, in the fifth and final phase of India general elections 2024 in the state amid tight security on Monday, officials said, as actors, corporate leaders and prominent politicians came out to exercise their franchise.

The state Chief Electoral Officer's (CEO) office revised voting figure at 10.45 pm and put the approximate turnout at 54.22 per cent as the India general elections 2024 passed off peacefully, reported PTI.

Of the 13 constituencies spread across the Mumbai region and North Maharashtra, the highest turnout was in Dindori in Nashik district at 62.66 per cent, while the lowest was in Kalyan in Thane district, the political turf of Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, at 47.08 per cent.

Among the other seats, Palghar recorded 61.18 per cent polling, Bhiwandi 56.41 per cent, Dhule 56.61 per cent, Mumbai North 55.21 per cent, Mumbai North Central 51.42 per cent, Mumbai North East 53.75 per cent, Mumbai North West 53.67 per cent, Mumbai South 47.70 per cent, Mumbai South Central 51.88 per cent, Nashik 56.25 per cent and Thane 49.81 per cent, according to data provided by the CEO office.

As per the data, Mumbai witnessed a turnout of 52.27 per cent with voters braving severe humidity and heat to cast their ballot. In 2019, the poll percentage in the metropolis was higher at 55.38.

With this, voting for all the 48 Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra has concluded.

Bollywood actors, corporate leaders, cricketers and prominent politicians queued up along with common citizens to exercise their franchise.

Chief Minister Shinde voted along with his family members at a booth in Thane.

Shinde later told reporters that the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) is a stronghold of the Shiv Sena-BJP where the ruling alliance will win all the 10 seats - six in Mumbai, three in Thane district and the Palghar seat.

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader and former CM Uddhav Thackeray and his wife Rashmi Thackeray exercised their franchise at a polling booth in Bandra area of Mumbai.

Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray and his wife Sharmila Thackeray voted at a booth in Mumbai's Dadar area.

Shiv Sena Rajya Sabha MP Milind Deora exercised his franchise at a polling booth in south Mumbai.

Several prominent persons, including Union minister Piyush Goyal, RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das, industrialists Ratan Tata, Mukesh Ambani, Anil Ambani, N Chandrasekaran, Anand Mahindra, Kumar Mangalam Birla, megastar Amitabh Bachchan, superstar Akshay Kumar, batting legend Sachin Tendulkar, cricketers Ajinkya Rahane and Suryakumar Yadav, exercised their franchise in the metropolis.

Former Uttar Pradesh governor Ram Naik, actors and film personalities Shabana Azmi, Javed Akhtar, Farhan Akhtar, Janhvi Kapoor, Anupam Kher, Anil Kapoor, Ashok Saraf and Prashant Damle also exercised their right to vote in Mumbai.

Voters queued up at some polling booths before start of voting at 7 am with some saying they wanted to avoid the heat later in the day while some wanted to exercise their franchise before going for their work.

Mumbai recorded a maximum temperature of 35 degrees Celsius during the day.

In adjoining Thane city, EVMs malfunctioned at a couple of booths in the morning, but the problem was rectified, district poll officials said.

No serious offence or incident of violence was reported in Mumbai though a few complaints of Modern Code of Conduct (MCC) violation were received, a senior police official said, reported PTI.

More than 30,000 police personnel and officers were deployed on election duty. As many as 36 units of the Central Armed Police Force (CAPF), three of the Riot Control Police and 6,200 Home Guards along with senior officers were engaged in poll duty, he said, reported PTI.

Besides maintaining law and order, Mumbai police officials also helped people and senior citizens to cast their votes across the city, the official said, reported PTI.

Non-cognizable offences were registered at Bhandup and Navghar Police Stations in Mumbai's eastern suburbs against two Shiv Sena (UBT) supporters for demonstrating dummy EVM s to voters, an official said.

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray claimed there were a lot of complaints from electors about lack of facilities outside polling booths.

"A lot of complaints from voters about the facilities outside the booths @ECISVEEP Atleast having the voter lines in shade/ fans could help. They don't want much, just basics to stay cool. Please look into it," the former state minister said in a post on X.

Shiv Sena (UBT) president Uddhav Thackeray alleged in the afternoon that voting was delayed at several places in Mumbai and the Election Commission of India was doing this deliberately at the behest of the Modi government.

"Dirty games are being played through the Election Commission. There is a lot of enthusiasm among voters, but the Election Commission is acting in a partisan manner ," Thackeray alleged.

There was no incident of crowding outside polling stations in Mumbai city district due to slow voting process, said Mumbai city collector Sanjay Yadav, reported PTI.

In the morning, voters in large numbers assembled outside booths in Sewri, Sion Koliwada and one more place, but additional manpower was used to clear the rush and the polling process was conducted swiftly, the senior bureaucrat said, reported PTI.

(With inputs from PTI)