58.75% turnout in Maharashtra; Naxal-hit Gadchiroli tops at 69.63%

Mumbai: Maharashtra recorded a voter turnout of 58.75 per cent in elections to 288 assembly seats on Wednesday with Naxal-hit Gadchiroli district coming on top with 69.63 per cent polling, while Mumbai City finished at bottom with 49 per cent.

However, the Election Commission said the turnout figures are provisional, adding 61.74 per cent polling was recorded in the 2019 assembly elections.

Voting was held amid sporadic violence as political heavyweights, Bollywood celebrities and business leaders lined up with common citizens to exercise their franchise.

The electoral fate of 4,136 candidates, including 2,086 independents, was locked in EVMs across 288 seats in the state. The ruling Mahayuti alliance is vying to retain power, while the opposition bloc Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) is hoping for a comeback after losing office in June 2022.

Votes will be counted on November 23.

A voter turnout of 53.78 per cent was registered in the bypoll to the Nanded Lok Sabha seat in central Maharashtra. The bypoll was necessitated due to death of Congress sitting MP Vasant Chavan.

Among the ruling Mahayuti constituents, the BJP contested 149 seats, NCP 59 and Shiv Sena 81. In the MVA camp, the Congress fought 101 seats, NCP (SP) 86 and Shiv Sena (UBT) 95.

The Naxal-hit Gadchiroli district in eastern Maharashtra recorded 69.63 per cent turnout, the highest among districts in the state. Within the district, the Aheri assembly seat posted 68.43 per cent voting, Armori 71.26 per cent and the Gadchiroli constituency 69.22 per cent.

According to the officials, the Mumbai City district recorded 49.07 per cent voting, the lowest in the state, while Mumbai Suburban was slightly better at 52.67 per cent.

The Colaba assembly segment in the island city registered 41.64 per cent polling, Mahim 55.23 per cent, Worli 47.50 per cent, Shivadi 51.70 per cent and Malabar Hill 50.08 per cent.

In Mumbai Suburban district, Bhandup polled 60.18 per cent votes, Dahisar 50.98 per cent, Vandre (East) 49.51 per cent.

In Chief Minister Eknath Shinde's Kopri-Pachpakhadi constituency in Thane district, the voter turnout was 55.77 per cent. The overall percentage of Thane district was 50.50 per cent.

In Baramati in Pune district, from where Deputy Chief Minister and NCP president Ajit Pawar contested against his nephew Yugendra Pawar, the polling percentage was 62.31 per cent, PTI reported.

In the Pune district, the voter turnout was 54.21 per cent.