Fewer People Turn Out To Vote In Maharashtra, Haryana
The Maharashtra assembly elections saw a voter turnout of 60.46 percent till the closing hour of 6 p.m., election officials said. The final figure of polling could increase and it will be available on Tuesday.
In the last assembly election in 2014, the state had recorded 63.38 percent voter turnout.
The highest turnout was reported in Karveer constituency in Kolhapur, at 83.2 percent. The lowest turnout was recorded in south Mumbai’s upmarket Colaba area at 40.20 percent.
Haryana recorded a voter turnout of 65 percent, a sharp drop from the 2014 elections which brought the BJP to power in the state.
The turnout was less than the 76.54 percent in the 2014 assembly elections and the 70.36 percent recorded over the state’s 10 parliamentary constituencies in the Lok Sabha elections this year.
6 P.M. Update: Turnouts Cross Half-Way Mark In Both States
The voter turnout in Maharashtra stood at 55.56 percent as the official poll time ends at 6 p.m. While the figure stood at 62.04 percent in Haryana.
5 P.M. Update: Maharashtra's Turnout Picks Up; Crosses Half-Way Mark In Haryana
Maharashtra recorded 46.73 percent compared with just 16.28 percent at 1 p.m. The total turnout crossed the half-way mark and stood at 58.08 percent as of 5 p.m.
3 P.M. Update: Voter Turnout More Than Doubles In Past 2 Hours
Voter turnout as of 3 p.m. stood at 41.29 percent in Maharashtra compared with just 16.28 percent at 1 p.m. For Haryana, too voter turnout increased to 49.77 percent from 23.12 percent two hours ago, according to Election Commission data.
One Woman Injured As Two Groups Clash In Nuh District
A woman was injured as clash took place between two groups outside a polling booth in Malaaka village in Nuh district in Haryana's Mewat region on Monday, a senior police official said.
A senior police official said that some argument broke out between a present Sarpanch and former Sarpanch after which some of their supporters accompanying them clashed.
Stones were also hurled during which one woman was injured, Nuh's Superintendent of Police, Sangeeta Kalia said over phone. "However, the polling process was not hampered and the situation was peaceful now," the SP told PTI.
The village where clash took place falls in Ferozepur Jhirka assembly constituency in Nuh, she said, adding some old enmity between the two groups was stated to be the reason behind the clash.
"We have registered an FIR in connection with the incident. Further investigations were on," said Kalia, who visited the incident spot.
There were also reports of a firing incident and minor fights taking place at a few places in Nuh district, but Kalia said these were not related to poll and police was trying to gather details about such incidents.
Source: PTI
Maharashtra, Haryana Assembly Elections: Voter Turnout As Of 1 P.M.
Voter turnout as of 1 p.m. stood at 23.12 percent and 16.28 percent for Haryana and Maharashtra respectively, according to estimates published by the Election Commission.
Hooda Casts Vote Along With His Family In Rohtak Rohtak
Former Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda on Monday exuded confidence that his party will make a comeback in the assembly polls as he cast his vote along with his family members here.
Before exercising his vote, the two-time former chief minister and his family members offered prayers at a temple.
He was accompanied by his wife Asha Hooda, son and former MP from Rohtak Deepender Singh Hooda and daughter-in-law Sweta Mirdha.
Hooda is a sitting legislator from Garhi Sampla-Kiloi here.
Source: PTI
Maharashtra, Haryana Assembly Elections: Voter Turnout As Of 11 A.M.
Voter turnout in the first four hours of polling stood at 12.24 percent and 6.4 percent for Haryana and Maharashtra respectively, according to estimates published by the Election Commission.
Politicians, Businessmen, Bureaucrats Vote In Mumbai
Maharashta Assembly Polls: Rain May Play Spoiler In Some Parts
It was a wet and cloudy Monday morning in parts of Maharashtra where voting for the Assembly polls was underway.
Some areas in south Konkan Maharashtra, western and south central parts, and Latur and Osmanabad districts in Marathwada region witnessed drizzle early morning, an official from the India Meteorological Department said.
As voting began at 7 a.m., Mumbai and its suburbs saw overcast sky after drizzle for last two days.
The IMD has predicted thunderstorm with lightning and gusty winds at isolated places in Raigad, Ratnagiri, Sindhudurg, Pune, Kolhapur, Satara, Sangli, Solapur, Beed and Osmanabad districts on Monday.
Though the MeT department last week announced complete withdrawal of the south-west monsoon, it said the cyclonic circulation developed off the south coast of Maharashtra was bringing rains now.
The state recorded 63.38 percent turnout in the 2014 Assembly polls.
"We are closely observing the situation and are hopeful voters will be spared vagaries of weather," a senior election official said.
Source: PTI
Nitin Gadkari Votes, Predicts 'Record-Breaking' Win For BJP-Shiv Sena
Union Minister Nitin Gadkari on Monday expressed confidence that the BJP-Shiv Sena alliance will form the next government in Maharashtra with a "record- breaking victory".
Gadkari, who was among the early voters in Nagpur, said people will vote on the basis of the five-year performance of the Narendra Modi government at the Centre and the Devendra Fadnavis-led dispensation in Maharashtra.
"The BJP-Sena will have a record-breaking victory and Fadnavis will be the chief minister again," he told reporters after casting his vote.
He also urged people to come out to vote and strengthen the democracy, and said NOTA (none of the above) was not a good option in democracy.
Besides Gadkari, NCP MP Supriya Sule and her mother Pratibha Pawar were also among the early voters, who exercised their democratic right at Baramati in Pune.
"The Congress-NCP alliance will form the next government," claimed Sule, who is the daughter of NCP chief Sharad Pawar.
Former state deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar, who is the nephew of the NCP chief, also voted in Baramati.
He is the NCP's nominee from Baramati Assembly seat.
The early voters also included Union minister Raosaheb Danve, who exercised his franchise at Bhokardan in Jalna.
Udayanraje Bhosale, who quit the NCP and is the BJP's nominee for the bypoll to Satara Lok Sabha in the state, voted in Satara.
Former Union home minister Sushilkumar Shinde cast his vote in Solapur, where his daughter Praniti Shinde is seeking a third term as MLA.
Former chief minister Ashok Chavan and his family members cast their votes at a school in Nanded.
Chavan is the Congress' nominee from Bhokar in Nanded.
In Mumbai, where it has been drizzling since last two days, state school education minister Ashish Shelar exercised his franchise at a school in suburban Bandra.
Shelar is the BJP's candidate from Bandra-West seat.
Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Haribhau Bagde cast his vote in Aurangabad district.
State Housing Minister Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil and his family members cast their votes at Shirdi in Ahmednagar.
Former cricketer Sandeep Patil, who was also among the early voters at Shivaji Park in Mumbai, said more than the party, the merit of an individual candidate was important.
"We should vote for candidates who work for their constituencies," he said.
Source: PTI
PM Modi Urges Voters To Turnout In Record Numbers
As polling is underway in Maharashtra and Haryana, Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged people to come out in large numbers to cast vote and enrich the "festival of democracy".
Besides the two states, assembly bypolls are underway in 51 seats and Lok Sabha by-elections in two constituencies across India.
It is usual for him to use the social media to urge voters to cast their vote on election days.
Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar has also appealed to voters to turnout in record numbers. "I appeal that all of you must participate in the festival of democracy and exercise your right to franchise in great numbers," he said. Congress leader and former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda too appealed to voters to come out in large numbers to ensure a record turnout.
Source: PTI
Why The ‘Narendra + Devendra’ Formula Has Been Potent
Maharashtra, which has been a Congress citadel since the state’s formation in 1960, is now clearly becoming a saffron fortress, writes Amitabh Tiwari.
- Like in other states, Bharatiya Janata Party successfully followed a strategy of not focusing on the dominant caste, consolidating all the other caste groups.
- That forces the dominant caste to make amends. In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, 56 percent of Marathas voted for the National Democratic Alliance.
- Across all the six regions of Maharashtra, NDA now enjoys a handsome lead versus UPA.
Read the entire opinion piece to see how the BJP-Shiv Sena relationship has transformed over the year and why the Narendra Modi and Devendra Fadnavis combination works.
Polling Begins For Maharashtra Elections
Polling began on Monday morning in all 288 Assembly constituencies of Maharashtra where 3,237 candidates, including 235 women, are in the fray.
The voting commenced at 7 am and will end at 6 pm.
The election campaign, which ended on Saturday evening, was dominated by the Bharatiya Janata Party's aggressive narrative of the abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu & Kashmir.
Source: PTI
Polling Begins In 90 Assembly Constituencies In Haryana
Polling began today morning at 7 a.m. in 90 assembly constituencies in Haryana. It will continue till 6 p.m., officials said.
Tight security arrangements have been made and over 75,000 security personnel have been mobilised for the polls, DGP Manoj Yadava said earlier.
As many as 1,169 candidates including 105 women of various political outfits are contesting the election. Over 1.83 crore voters are eligible to vote that includes 85 lakh women, over one lakh service voters and 252 transgenders.
Source: PTI
Haryana Assembly Elections: All You Need To Know
Haryana is the second state that went to the polls along with Maharashtra today. Over 1.8 crore voters are expected to exercise their franchise to elect 90 representatives. 1,108 candidates are in the fray for those 90 seats.
Manohar Lal Khattar, the first Bharatiya Janata Party leader to hold the chief minister’s post in Haryana, is seeking a second term. He expressed confidence that his party will secure close to 75 seats in the 90-member state assembly.
Former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda of the Congress is also looking to revive his fortunes after a defeat in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. But the Congress suffered a jolt after its state unit President Ashok Tanwar quit and declared his support for Dushyant Chautala’s Jannayak Janta Party.
Maharashtra Assembly Polls: All You Need To Know
While there were more than 5,000 candidates in the fray, the number is now down to 3,239 after rejections.
Counting of votes will take place on Oct. 24.
Prominent candidates include Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis (Nagpur South-West), Aaditya Thackeray (Worli), Ashok Chavan (Bhokar) and Prithviraj Chavan (Karad South), among others.
Over 9 crore voters in Maharashtra and 1.8 crore voters in Haryana will vote today to select state legislators. Catch all updates on polling, comments, voter turnouts and the exit polls at the end of the day, here.
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