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Mumbai, Maharashtra | January 15:
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections started with a slow pace on Thursday. The voter turnout reached only 7.12 per cent by 9:30 AM, according to the State Election Commission (SEC). Early reports show that male voters cast nearly twice as many votes as female voters.
Ward-wise Voter Turnout
Ward 18 recorded the highest early turnout at 11.57 per cent. In contrast, Ward 162 had the lowest at 1.68 per cent. Out of 1,03,44,315 registered voters, 7,36,996 people cast their votes by 9:30 AM. Among them, 4,54,539 were men and 2,82,433 were women.
Leaders Cast Votes Early
Several leaders voted in the morning. Maharashtra Minister Ganesh Naik and his family cast their votes at the Bonkode Polling Station. Former RS MP Subhash Chandra voted and urged higher-income groups to participate. He said,
“Higher-income groups complain about everything but avoid casting their votes.”
Chandra reported minor issues finding his booth, but officials quickly resolved them.
Polling Challenges
Shiv Sena (UBT) spokesperson Anand Dubey voted at a Kandivali polling station. He reported that the EC website malfunctioned and that his chosen candidate did not appear on the digital screen.
Avinash Gowariker, brother of director Ashutosh Gowariker, mentioned that missing voting slips caused some delays. He added that polling venues were otherwise comfortable.
Polling Schedule and Importance
Polling began at 7:30 AM and continues until 5:30 PM on Thursday, January 15. Officials will count votes on Friday, January 16.
Elections are ongoing in 29 municipal corporations in Maharashtra, including Mumbai, Pune, Nagpur, Thane, Navi Mumbai, Nashik, and Pimpri-Chinchwad. Political analysts consider these elections important for understanding trends in Maharashtra.
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