Maharashtra Lok Sabha Election 2024 Phase 5: 49.15% Polling Recorded in State; Slow Voting in Fast-Paced Mumbai; Stars Descend on Booths

Mumbai, May 20: A voter turnout of 49.15 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 elections 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 put the approximate voter turnout at 49.15 per cent at 9 pm. Of the 13 constituencies spread across the Mumbai region and North Maharashtra, the highest turnout was in Dindori in Nashik district at 57.06 per cent, while the lowest was in Kalyan in Thane district, the political turf of Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, at 43.04 per cent. Maharashtra Lok Sabha Elections 2024: Nearly 16% Voter Turnout Till 11 AM; CM Eknath Shinde, Uddhav, Raj Thackeray Cast Vote (Watch Videos).

Among the other seats, Palghar saw 54.32 per cent polling, Nashik 51.16 per cent, Bhiwandi 49.43 per cent polling, Dhule 48.81 per cent, Mumbai North 46.91 per cent, Mumbai North Central 47.46 per cent, Mumbai North East 48.67 per cent, Mumbai North West 49.79 per cent, Mumbai South 44.63 per cent, Mumbai South Central 48.80 per cent and Thane 48.04 per cent, according to data provided by the CEO office.

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. Lok Sabha Elections 2024: Campaigning Ends for 13 Seats in Final Phase of LS Polls in Maharashtra; 264 Candidates in Fray.

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, industrialists Ratan Tata and Anil Ambani, megastar Amitabh Bachchan, superstar Akshay Kumar, batting legend Sachin Tendulkar, cricketers Ajinkya Rahane and Suryakumar Yadav, exercised their franchise in the metropolis.

Tata Sons Chairman N Chandrasekaran, Reserve Bank of India Governor Shaktikanta Das, industrialists Anand Mahindra, Kumar Mangalam Birla, former Uttar Pradesh governor Ram Naik, actor Janhvi Kapoor, actor-filmmaker Farhan Akhtar and Marathi theatre actor Prashant Damle also cast their votes in the metropolis. Film personalities Anupam Kher, Anil Kapoor, Ashok Saraf, Shabana Azmi and Javed Akhtar 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 promptly, district poll officials said.

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. A case for violation of the Model Code of Conduct was lodged at the J J Marg Police Station against a man for urging electors to cast their votes on the basis of religion, he 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.

Mumbai residents complained of delays and slow-paced voting. 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 Narendra 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. Congress candidate from Mumbai North Central Varsha Gaikwad said, "I received complaints from voters about lack of facilities at booths. Long queues and exposure to heat tested their patience. Some people returned home without exercising their franchise."

A voter in Bimbisar Nagar in Goregaon East said, "I came to vote around noon, but it took nearly one and a half hours. I am a senior citizen and still came to vote, but it took longer than it had taken in 2019." There was no incident of crowding outside polling stations in Mumbai city district due to slow voting process, said Mumbai city collector Sanjay Yadav.

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. "Everything was normal and peaceful during the voting as we have been preparing for the polls for the last two months," said Yadav. With this, voting for all the 48 Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra has concluded.