Fate of 4,136 Candidates Sealed in Maharashtra Assembly Polls;Over 58% Voter Turnout Recorded by 5 PM
Over 58 percent of Maharashtra’s 9.70 crore-plus eligible voters participated in the single-phase Assembly election on Wednesday. The voting process, which remained largely peaceful, witnessed only minor incidents of skirmishes between political rivals and sporadic reports of technical glitches in EVMs.
Election Commission sources reported an average voter turnout of 58.22 percent by 5 p.m., with Gadchiroli district leading at 64 percent. Meanwhile, Mumbai City recorded the lowest turnout at 49.07 percent. Despite some initial delays, polling gained momentum as the day progressed, with voters turning out in larger numbers closer to the closing time of 6 p.m. Those arriving at polling stations by this time were allowed to cast their votes.
The day was not without its share of controversies. In Nandgaon constituency of Nashik district, tensions flared between supporters of Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) candidate Suhas Kande and independent contender Sameer Bhujbal, nephew of NCP (AP) leader Chhagan Bhujbal. Allegations of voter bribery and bringing in outsiders were exchanged, though Kande denied the accusations.
Prominent figures exercised their franchise, including Maharashtra Governor C.P. Radhakrishnan, who voted at a booth in the Raj Bhavan area under the Colaba constituency. Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Deputy Chief Ministers Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar, and other political stalwarts like Nitin Gadkari, Sharad Pawar, and Uddhav Thackeray were also among those who voted.
Celebrities, including cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar and Bollywood actors Akshay Kumar, Farhan Akhtar, and Anupam Kher, turned up with their families to vote. Industrialist Mukesh Ambani also made an appearance at the polling booth.
The election will determine the fate of 4,136 candidates contesting across 288 Assembly seats, shaping the government in one of India’s most populous states.
