An estimated 65 percent voter turnout was recorded in the Maharashtra assembly elections on Wednesday, where the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party-led Mahayuti alliance is making a determined bid to retain power and the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi coalition is hoping to continue its good showing in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
The figures are provisional, election officials said, adding that 61.74 percent of polling was recorded in the 2019 assembly elections in the state.
The Maoist-affected Gadchiroli district recorded a turnout of 69.63 percent on Wednesday, while Mumbai, the financial capital, saw an estimated 54 percent turnout.
In the 2019 polls, Mumbai's polling figure stood at 50.67 percent.
Officials noted that poll percentage figures are provisional and may undergo minor revisions once all data is verified. The final voter turnout percentage is expected to be officially announced on Thursday.
Notably, an encouraging trend has been observed in urban constituencies, traditionally known for lower voter participation.
Mumbai's Colaba constituency, which recorded just 40 percent turnout in 2019, showed an improved figure of 44.49 percent this year, as per the figures shared by the state Chief Electoral Officer's office.
In rural areas, where voter engagement tends to be higher, several constituencies reported exceptional turnout rates.
Karvir constituency in Kolhapur district recorded 84.79 percent turnout, which is expected to be the highest in the state. Similarly, other constituencies in Gadchiroli district also registered high participation.
Several Bollywood celebrities, including actors Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan, Akshay Kumar and Ranbir Kapoor, cast their votes adding a touch of glamour to the festival of democracy.
The voting for the 288 assembly seats began at 7 am and people sealed the fate of over 4,100 contesting candidates across 1,00,186 booths, an increase from 96,654 in the 2019 elections.
In the Mahayuti alliance, the BJP contested 149 seats, Shiv Sena 81 seats, and the Ajit Pawar-led NCP fielded candidates in 59 constituencies.
In the opposition's MVA combine, the Congress fielded 101 candidates, Shiv Sena-UBT 95, and NCP-SP put up 86 candidates.
Parties like Bahujan Samaj Party and the All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul-Muslimeen, also contested, with BSP fielding 237 candidates and AIMIM putting up 17 candidates.
The MVA combine had performed well in this year's Lok Sabha polls by securing 30 out of 48 seats in the state.
An analysis of the Lok Sabha results at the assembly segment level indicates that the MVA coalition would have narrowly surpassed the crucial 145-seat majority threshold, as it led in 153 assembly segments. The Mahayuti coalition led in 125 assembly segments.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to social media, urging voters to partake in the elections with zeal, emphasising the importance of enhancing the "festival of democracy."
He particularly appealed to women and young voters to make their voices heard.
Among the early voters was Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat, who cast his ballot in Nagpur.
Post-voting, he highlighted the civic duty of voting, stating, "Voting is a responsibility that every citizen should perform." He noted his commitment to voting early, prioritising it before attending to other matters.
Bollywood stars, including Akshay Kumar, Rajkummar Rao, and filmmaker Farhan Akhtar, also stepped out early to exercise their franchise, encouraging their fans to do the same.
The high-stakes campaign culminated on Monday, featuring prominent leaders such as PM Modi, Amit Shah, Rahul Gandhi, and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, all rallying for increased voter participation.
A day before the polling, police registered two cases against BJP general secretary Vinod Tawde, party candidate Rajan Naik and 250 others after allegations of a cash-for-vote scam.
Allegations also surfaced involving Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole and NCP-SP leader Supriya Sule regarding Bitcoin transactions.
Maharashtra has been in a state of political flux since the last assembly elections in 2019, marked by significant splits in key parties, including the Shiv Sena in 2022 and the NCP in 2023.
These developments led to the fall of the MVA government and the rise of the Mahayuti government led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.
The number of candidates this time increased by 28 percent compared to the 2019 state assembly elections. This year, 4,136 candidates contested, up from 3,239 in 2019 elections.
Among these candidates, 2,086 were independents. Rebels were in the fray in over 150 constituencies, with candidates from the Mahayuti and MVA contesting against their party's official nominees.
There were 1,00,186 polling booths in Maharashtra this time, compared to 96,654 booths in the 2019 assembly elections.
