ETV Bharat / bharat

Maharashtra: 60.5% voting in Maha Assembly poll; turnout lower than 2014

author img

By

Published : Oct 21, 2019, 5:58 AM IST

Updated : Oct 21, 2019, 9:38 PM IST

Maharashtra Assembly Election 2019

19:37 October 21

India Today - Axis My India exit polls
India Today - Axis My India exit polls

19:22 October 21

Times Now Exit poll
Times Now Exit poll

19:22 October 21

Republic TV - Jan Ki Baat exit polls
Republic TV - Jan Ki Baat exit polls

19:22 October 21

News 18- IPSOS exit polls
News 18- IPSOS exit polls

19:18 October 21

ABP exit polls
ABP exit polls

18:26 October 21

63% voting in Maha Assembly poll; turnout similar to 2014

Maharashtra Assembly elections held on Monday saw a voter turnout of around 63 percent, almost matching the 63.38 percent polling recorded in the last state elections in 2014.      

Rural areas of the state fared better, with voters there showing more enthusiasm than their urban counterparts.      

Polling began at 7 am and ended at 6 pm. Altogether 54.53 percent voters exercised their franchise till 5 pm, a poll official said.

18:05 October 21

BJP's JP Nadda to hold meet with party gen secy's over Maha, Haryana polls

BJP National Working President JP Nadda will hold a meeting with the party's general secretaries tomorrow at BJP headquarters over Maharashtra and Haryana Assembly polls. Other matters are also likely to be taken up at the meeting.

17:58 October 21

BSP leader throws ink on EVM machine in Thane

A Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) leader threw ink on an EVM in a polling booth situated in the Thane Head Post Office, police said.

Sunil Khambe, a local-level leader, threw ink on the machine after he had cast his vote in the Assembly polls underway. A video of his act was widely circulated soon after on social media.

While being bundled into the police van, Khambe told reporters that he did this as EVMs were making a "mockery of democracy".

17:55 October 21

59 VVPATs, 19 EVMs replaced in Nagpur district

59 VVPATs, 19 EVMs replaced in Nagpur district
59 VVPATs, 19 EVMs replaced in Nagpur district

As many as 59 VVPATs and 19 EVMs were replaced in Nagpur district following malfunction.

The VVPAT machines, 34 control units and 19 ballot units (EVMs) were replaced due to technical glitches in 12 assembly constituencies of the district, the District information office said.
 

17:49 October 21

Voter turnout in Maharashtra was recorded at 54.79 percent till 5:30 pm.
 

17:49 October 21

Former President Pratibha Patil cast her vote at NCL School in Pune
Former President Pratibha Patil cast her vote at NCL School in Pune

Former President Pratibha Patil cast her vote at NCL School in Pune
 

17:28 October 21

BJP MP from Punjab's Gurdaspur Sunny Deol cast his vote at a polling booth in Juhu, Mumbai.
BJP MP from Punjab's Gurdaspur Sunny Deol cast his vote at a polling booth in Juhu, Mumbai.

BJP MP from Punjab's Gurdaspur Sunny Deol cast his vote at a polling booth in Juhu, Mumbai.

17:20 October 21

Chief secretary Ajoy Mehta cast his vote along with family at Activity High School

Chief secretary Ajoy Mehta cast his vote along with family at Activity High School and appealed others to exercise their right to vote.

16:49 October 21

Bollywood actor Salman Khan cast his vote from Bandra West
Bollywood actor Salman Khan cast his vote from Bandra West

Bollywood actor Salman Khan cast his vote from Bandra West

16:48 October 21

RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat cast his vote from Nagpur

16:29 October 21

Voter turnout in Maharashtra was recorded at 43.84 percent till 4:30 pm.
 

16:08 October 21

Haji Ibrahim Aleem Joad, a 102-year-old man, casts his vote at a polling booth in Lohegaon

Haji Ibrahim Aleem Joad, a 102-year-old man, cast his vote along with his family at a polling booth in Lohegaon.

"I was admitted in a hospital for four days but today I'm here to cast my vote. I urge everyone to come forward and vote, ' said the centenarian after casting his vote.

15:55 October 21

Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan leave after casting their vote in Juhu
Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan leave after casting their vote in Juhu

Jaya Bachchan, Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan leave after casting their vote at a polling booth in Juhu, Mumbai.

15:50 October 21

Voter turnout in Maharashtra was recorded at 39.9 percent till 3.30 pm.

15:25 October 21

Polling in Wardha assembly contituency got delayed by a few hours following an EVM malfunction.

Voting was, however, resumed after the faulty EVM was replaced by authorities concerned.

Similar incidents of EVM malfunction was reported from six other polling stations in Wardha during a mock poll.
 

15:09 October 21

Badshah of Bollywood Shahrukh Khan voted in Mumbai

Badshah of Bollywood Shahrukh Khan and his wife Gauri cast their votes at polling booth no. 177 in Bandra West, Mumbai. 

14:57 October 21

Election Commission came up with an innovative way to help voters reach their booth in Satara's Kambleshwar village despite heavy rainfall. 
 

14:46 October 21

Sushma Satpute, Election Commission officer
Sushma Satpute, Election Commission officer

Sushma Satpute, Election Commission officer at Worli said, "There was some issue in an electronic voting machine (EVM) at polling booth number 62 of Worli Assembly constituency but the machine has been replaced and voting is going on."

14:36 October 21

Singer Anup Jalota voted in Mumbai

Singer Anup Jalota voted in Mumbai for Maharashtra Assembly Election 2019.

14:33 October 21

Shabana Azmi and Javed Akhtar exercised their franchise

Shabana Azmi and Javed Akhtar exercised their franchise at a polling booth in Mumbai. 

14:26 October 21

Actress Deepika Padukone cast her vote

Actress Deepika Padukone cast her vote at a polling booth in Bandra (West), Mumbai.

14:25 October 21

Khilari Ram Sharma who is 100-year-old voted in Mumbai's Bhandup

 Khilari Ram Sharma who is 100-year-old, voted in Mumbai's Bhandup. Sharma has voted in all the elections since India became independent. 
 Sharma was born on August 19, 1919.

14:19 October 21

The polling percentage across 288 Assembly Constituencies in Maharashtra is 30.75% till 2 pm. 

13:59 October 21

Actors Anil Kapoor and Hrithik Roshan cast their vote

Actors Anil Kapoor and Hrithik Roshan, leave after casting their vote at a polling booth in Andheri (West).

13:28 October 21

Actor and BJP MP Hema Malini cast her vote

Actor and BJP MP Hema Malini cast her vote at a polling booth in Mumbai's Andheri (West).

13:12 October 21

Union Minister Smriti Irani cast her vote at a polling booth in Mumbai

Union Minister Smriti Irani cast her vote at a polling booth in Mumbai.

A 93-year-old army veteran also turned up to exercise his franchise. His efforts and enthusiasm were appreciated by the Union Minister.

Irani said, "Today's hero is Khanna ji (man standing next to her), he had served in Army. He is 93 and came out to vote. It is an inspiration, I request people to come out and vote, if at 93 he can vote then who is stopping you?

13:10 October 21

Salman Khan's brother Sohail Khan casts his ballot

Salman Khan's brother Sohail Khan casts his ballot for the Maharashtra Election 2019.

12:52 October 21

Swabhimani Paksha candidate shot at, thrashed

Swabhimani Paksha candidate shot at, thrashed

Nagpur: Three motorcycle-borne masked men fired at a candidate of pro-farmer outfit Swabhimani Paksha on Monday when he was going in a car, and also beat him up after pulling him out of the vehicle in Maharashtra's Amravati district, police said.

The attackers later set the car ablaze, Shendurjana Ghat police station's inspector Maruti Gedam said.

The incident took place on Malkhed road in Amravati, located around 150 km from here, he said.

Devendra Bhuyar, the nominee of Raju Shetti's Swabhimani Paksha from Morshi seat, was going to Warud in a car along with some workers of the outfit when the three masked persons fired at him around 5:30 am, Gedam said.

The attackers later forcefully stopped the vehicle, pulled out its occupants and thrashed them, he said.

They then poured petrol on Bhuyar's vehicle and set it afire before running away, the official said.

Bhuyar was taken to a hospital where his condition was reported to be normal, he said.

Bhuyar, whose outfit is an ally of the Congress and NCP, is contesting the state Assembly polls against BJP minister Anil Bonde from Morshi seat.

12:40 October 21

Actor Govinda turned up to cast his vote

Actor Govinda and his wife Sunita turned up to cast their votes for the Maharashtra Election 2019 in Andheri (West).

He refused to give any comments when asked about Congress' poor situation.

12:26 October 21

Sachin turns up to vote at Maharashtra Election 2019

Sachin turns up to vote at Maharashtra Election 2019

Batting icon Sachin Tendulkar, wife Anjali and their son Arjun cast their votes at a polling booth in Bandra (West).

12:24 October 21

Voter turnout till 12 noon stands at 16.48% for Maharashtra Assembly Election 2019.

12:01 October 21

Veteran actor Prem Chopra and Director-lyricist Gulzar cast their ballot

Veteran actor Prem Chopra and Director-lyricist Gulzar cast their ballots at a polling booth in Bandra (West).

11:51 October 21

Voter turnout till 11 am stands at 13.13% for Maharashtra Assembly Election 2019.

11:39 October 21

Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray, wife Rashmi, and sons Aditya and Tejas cast their votes

Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray, wife Rashmi, and sons Aditya and Tejas cast their votes at Bandra East.

Aditya Thackeray is a candidate from Worli constituency.

11:32 October 21

Union Minister Prakash Javadekar casts his vote

Union Minister Prakash Javadekar casts his vote

Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change Prakash Javadekar exercised his franchise at a polling booth for the 2019 Maharashtra Assembly elections.
 

10:56 October 21

Madhuri Dixit votes at polling booth in Bandra (West)

Madhuri Dixit votes at polling booth in Bandra (West)

Actress Madhuri Dixit exercised her franchise at a polling booth in Bandra (West) for the 2019 Maharashtra Assembly elections.
 

10:46 October 21

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, his wife Amruta and mother Sarita cast their votes at a polling booth in Maharashtra

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, his wife Amruta and mother Sarita cast their votes at a polling booth in Maharashtra's Nagpur.

10:42 October 21

Power cut at a polling booth in Pune's Shivaji Nagar

Pune: Voting continued despite experiencing power cut at a polling booth in Pune's Shivaji Nagar.

"The electricity supply is not there at this school. The problem was found in an electricity meter. Till now, it has not been resolved. Meanwhile, a generator is being provided by Election Commission. Voting is underway. There is no problem in that," said Sanjay Padhtare, Sector Officer.

Polling officials had candles placed at their tables to help them tally voter details properly. 

Padhtare said that eight polling stations have been affected due to the unavailability of electricity.

10:35 October 21

NCP President Sharad Pawar exercises his franchise

NCP President Sharad Pawar exercises his franchise

NCP chief Sharad Pawar along with son-in-law Sadanand Sule and granddaughter Revati Sule, exercised his franchise at Tardeo in Mumbai.

The grand-nephew of NCP President, Rohit Pawar is debuting from Karjat-Jamkhed constituency. He is pitted against BJP's Ram Shankar Shinde for this seat.

10:30 October 21

Riteish Deshmukh and Genelia D'Souza arrive at polling booth

Riteish Deshmukh and Genelia D'Souza arrive at polling booth

Actor Riteish Deshmukh along with his wife Genelia D'Souza cast his vote at a polling booth in Latur for the Maharashtra Assembly Election 2019.

His brothers Amit Deshmukh and Dhiraj Deshmukh are contesting polls as Congress candidates from Latur city and Latur rural constituencies, respectively.

10:10 October 21

Mahesh Bhupati and Lara Dutta cast their votes

Former tennis player Mahesh Bhupati along with his wife and actor Lara Dutta cast his vote

Former tennis player Mahesh Bhupati along with his wife and actor Lara Dutta cast his vote at a polling booth in Bandra (West).

10:04 October 21

Actor Aamir Khan spotted at polling booth in Bandra (West)

Actor Aamir Khan spotted at polling booth in Bandra (West)

Actor Aamir Khan gave his vote at a polling booth in Bandra (West).

Talking to media, he said, "I appeal to all citizens of Maharashtra to come out and vote in large numbers."

09:51 October 21

Shubha Khote, Ravi Kishan, Padmini Kolhapure cast their votes

Ravi Kishan, Padmini Kolhapure, Shubha Khote cast their votes

Actor and BJP MP from Gorakhpur (UP) Ravi Kishan & actress Padmini Kolhapure cast their votes at polling booths in Mumbai's Goregaon and Andheri (West) constituency, respectively.

Earlier, actress Shubha Khote exercised her franchise for the Andheri West constituency. 
 

09:42 October 21

Differently-abled voters exercise their franchise

Differently-abled voters exercise their franchise

Differently-abled voters were brought to polling booths on wheelchair compatible vehicles by the Election Commission in Sewri, Mumbai.

09:27 October 21

Voter turnout till 9 am stands at 5.29% for Maharashtra Assembly Election 2019.

09:17 October 21

Balasaheb Thorat casts his vote

Balasaheb Thorat cast his vote along with the family members

Senior Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Praful Patel and his wife Varsha cast their votes at a polling booth in Gondia assembly constituency. 

Gopal Agarwal from BJP and Amar Varade from Congress are contesting from this constituency.
 

09:09 October 21

Praful Patel and his wife exercise their franchise

Praful Patel and his wife exercise their franchise

Senior Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Supriya Sule casts her vote in Baramati.

Her cousin and NCP leader Ajit Pawar is contesting against BJP's Gopichand Padalkar from the constituency.

08:56 October 21

NCP leader Supriya Sule casts her vote in Baramati

NCP leader Supriya Sule casts her vote in Baramati

Union Minister Nitin Gadkari and his wife Kanchan cast their votes in Nagpur. 

08:23 October 21

Union Minister Nitin Gadkari exercises his franchise

Union Minister Nitin Gadkari exercises his franchise

National Award winning actor Atul Kulkarni exercised his franchise in the 2019 Maharashtra Assembly elections.

08:18 October 21

Union Minister Piyush Goyal casts his ballot in Mumbai

Union Minister Piyush Goyal casts his ballot in Mumbai

National Award winning actor Atul Kulkarni exercised his franchise in the 2019 Maharashtra Assembly elections.

08:03 October 21

Actor Atul Kulkarni exercises his franchise

Actor Atul Kulkarni exercises his franchise

National Award winning actor Atul Kulkarni exercised his franchise in the 2019 Maharashtra Assembly elections.

07:43 October 21

NCP leader Ajit Pawar casts his ballot

Senior Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader and candidate from Baramati, Ajit Pawar casts his vote.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweets: Elections are taking place for Haryana & Maharashtra assemblies. There are also by-polls taking place in various parts of India. I urge voters in these states & seats to turnout in record numbers & enrich the festival of democracy. I hope youngsters vote in large numbers.
 

07:37 October 21

Julio Ribeiro casts his vote for Worli

Julio Ribeiro casts his vote for Worli
Julio Ribeiro casts his vote for Worli

Voting begins for Maharashtra Elections

Voting for the assembly polls have begun in Maharashtra, where the BJP is seeking a second term in power and hopes for an easy victory. 

Polling is underway for 288 constituencies in the stae of Maharashtra.

07:22 October 21

Mohan Bhagwat casts his vote

Mohan Bhagwat casts his vote

Mumbai: Polling will be held on Monday in all 288 Assembly constituencies of Maharashtra where 3,237 candidates, including 235 women, are in the fray. The voting will be held from 7 am to 6 pm.

Prominent candidates include Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis from Nagpur South-West, and his predecessors from the Congress -- Ashok Chavan, who is contesting from Bhokar in Nanded district, and Prithviraj Chavan, who is seeking a re-election from Karad South in Satara district.

The BJP, under Fadnavis' leadership, is seeking a second straight term in the state.

Aaditya Thackeray, the son of Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray, has also entered the poll fray from Worli constituency in Mumbai. The 29-year-old Yuva Sena chief is the first leader from his family to make a debut in electoral politics.

Voting is also underway for the byelection to Satara Lok Sabha constituency, where former NCP leader and sitting MP Udayanraje Bhosale is in the fray on BJP's ticket against Shriniwas Patil of the Congress-NCP combine.

The BJP has fielded its nominees in 164 Assembly seats, including candidates of smaller allies contesting on its lotus symbol, while the Sena is contesting 124 seats.

On the other hand, the opposition Congress has fielded 147 candidates and its ally NCP 121. The main contest is between the 'Mahayuti' or grand alliance led by the BJP, and the 'maha-aghadi' (front) led by the Congress and NCP.

Among other parties, the Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) has fielded 101 candidates.

As many as 1,400 Independents are also in the fray.

The electioncampaign, which ended on Saturday evening, was dominated by the BJP's aggressive narrative of the abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir.

The state has total 8,98,39,600 voters, including 1,06,76,013 in the age group of 18 to 25 years.

A total of 6.5 lakh polling personnel have been deployed at 96,661 polling booths across the state. Nearly 1,35,021 VVPAT (voter verifiable paper audit trail) machines have also been installed.

Of the 288 constituencies, Nanded-South seat has the maximum 38 candidates, while Chiplun in Ratnagiri district has just three nominees.

In the 2014 elections, the BJP won 122 seats, the Sena-63, the Congress-42 and the NCP-41.

Later, two by-elections were held due to the death of MLAs Krushna Ghoda (Palghar) and Bala Sawant (Bandra-East). The Sena manged to retain both the seats.

In the run-up to the polls, several legislators of the Congress and NCP switched sides to the ruling BJP and Sena. Some of them also managed to get tickets for the polls.

Also read: Four big parties to shape Maharashtra's political space

07:19 October 21

PM urges youngsters to vote

  • Elections are taking place for Haryana and Maharashtra assemblies. There are also by-polls taking place in various parts of India. I urge voters in these states and seats to turnout in record numbers and enrich the festival of democracy. I hope youngsters vote in large numbers.

    — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) October 21, 2019 " class="align-text-top noRightClick twitterSection" data=" ">

Mumbai: Polling will be held on Monday in all 288 Assembly constituencies of Maharashtra where 3,237 candidates, including 235 women, are in the fray. The voting will be held from 7 am to 6 pm.

Prominent candidates include Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis from Nagpur South-West, and his predecessors from the Congress -- Ashok Chavan, who is contesting from Bhokar in Nanded district, and Prithviraj Chavan, who is seeking a re-election from Karad South in Satara district.

The BJP, under Fadnavis' leadership, is seeking a second straight term in the state.

Aaditya Thackeray, the son of Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray, has also entered the poll fray from Worli constituency in Mumbai. The 29-year-old Yuva Sena chief is the first leader from his family to make a debut in electoral politics.

Voting is also underway for the byelection to Satara Lok Sabha constituency, where former NCP leader and sitting MP Udayanraje Bhosale is in the fray on BJP's ticket against Shriniwas Patil of the Congress-NCP combine.

The BJP has fielded its nominees in 164 Assembly seats, including candidates of smaller allies contesting on its lotus symbol, while the Sena is contesting 124 seats.

On the other hand, the opposition Congress has fielded 147 candidates and its ally NCP 121. The main contest is between the 'Mahayuti' or grand alliance led by the BJP, and the 'maha-aghadi' (front) led by the Congress and NCP.

Among other parties, the Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) has fielded 101 candidates.

As many as 1,400 Independents are also in the fray.

The electioncampaign, which ended on Saturday evening, was dominated by the BJP's aggressive narrative of the abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir.

The state has total 8,98,39,600 voters, including 1,06,76,013 in the age group of 18 to 25 years.

A total of 6.5 lakh polling personnel have been deployed at 96,661 polling booths across the state. Nearly 1,35,021 VVPAT (voter verifiable paper audit trail) machines have also been installed.

Of the 288 constituencies, Nanded-South seat has the maximum 38 candidates, while Chiplun in Ratnagiri district has just three nominees.

In the 2014 elections, the BJP won 122 seats, the Sena-63, the Congress-42 and the NCP-41.

Later, two by-elections were held due to the death of MLAs Krushna Ghoda (Palghar) and Bala Sawant (Bandra-East). The Sena manged to retain both the seats.

In the run-up to the polls, several legislators of the Congress and NCP switched sides to the ruling BJP and Sena. Some of them also managed to get tickets for the polls.

Also read: Four big parties to shape Maharashtra's political space

07:09 October 21

Voting begins for Maharashtra Elections

Mumbai: Polling will be held on Monday in all 288 Assembly constituencies of Maharashtra where 3,237 candidates, including 235 women, are in the fray. The voting will be held from 7 am to 6 pm.

Prominent candidates include Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis from Nagpur South-West, and his predecessors from the Congress -- Ashok Chavan, who is contesting from Bhokar in Nanded district, and Prithviraj Chavan, who is seeking a re-election from Karad South in Satara district.

The BJP, under Fadnavis' leadership, is seeking a second straight term in the state.

Aaditya Thackeray, the son of Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray, has also entered the poll fray from Worli constituency in Mumbai. The 29-year-old Yuva Sena chief is the first leader from his family to make a debut in electoral politics.

Voting is also underway for the byelection to Satara Lok Sabha constituency, where former NCP leader and sitting MP Udayanraje Bhosale is in the fray on BJP's ticket against Shriniwas Patil of the Congress-NCP combine.

The BJP has fielded its nominees in 164 Assembly seats, including candidates of smaller allies contesting on its lotus symbol, while the Sena is contesting 124 seats.

On the other hand, the opposition Congress has fielded 147 candidates and its ally NCP 121. The main contest is between the 'Mahayuti' or grand alliance led by the BJP, and the 'maha-aghadi' (front) led by the Congress and NCP.

Among other parties, the Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) has fielded 101 candidates.

As many as 1,400 Independents are also in the fray.

The electioncampaign, which ended on Saturday evening, was dominated by the BJP's aggressive narrative of the abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir.

The state has total 8,98,39,600 voters, including 1,06,76,013 in the age group of 18 to 25 years.

A total of 6.5 lakh polling personnel have been deployed at 96,661 polling booths across the state. Nearly 1,35,021 VVPAT (voter verifiable paper audit trail) machines have also been installed.

Of the 288 constituencies, Nanded-South seat has the maximum 38 candidates, while Chiplun in Ratnagiri district has just three nominees.

In the 2014 elections, the BJP won 122 seats, the Sena-63, the Congress-42 and the NCP-41.

Later, two by-elections were held due to the death of MLAs Krushna Ghoda (Palghar) and Bala Sawant (Bandra-East). The Sena manged to retain both the seats.

In the run-up to the polls, several legislators of the Congress and NCP switched sides to the ruling BJP and Sena. Some of them also managed to get tickets for the polls.

Also read: Four big parties to shape Maharashtra's political space

02:16 October 21

60.5% voting in Maha Assembly poll; turnout lower than 2014

Mumbai: Polling will be held on Monday in all 288 Assembly constituencies of Maharashtra where 3,237 candidates, including 235 women, are in the fray. The voting will be held from 7 am to 6 pm.

Prominent candidates include Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis from Nagpur South-West, and his predecessors from the Congress -- Ashok Chavan, who is contesting from Bhokar in Nanded district, and Prithviraj Chavan, who is seeking a re-election from Karad South in Satara district.

The BJP, under Fadnavis' leadership, is seeking a second straight term in the state.

Aaditya Thackeray, the son of Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray, has also entered the poll fray from Worli constituency in Mumbai. The 29-year-old Yuva Sena chief is the first leader from his family to make a debut in electoral politics.

Voting is also underway for the byelection to Satara Lok Sabha constituency, where former NCP leader and sitting MP Udayanraje Bhosale is in the fray on BJP's ticket against Shriniwas Patil of the Congress-NCP combine.

The BJP has fielded its nominees in 164 Assembly seats, including candidates of smaller allies contesting on its lotus symbol, while the Sena is contesting 124 seats.

On the other hand, the opposition Congress has fielded 147 candidates and its ally NCP 121. The main contest is between the 'Mahayuti' or grand alliance led by the BJP, and the 'maha-aghadi' (front) led by the Congress and NCP.

Among other parties, the Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) has fielded 101 candidates.

As many as 1,400 Independents are also in the fray.

The electioncampaign, which ended on Saturday evening, was dominated by the BJP's aggressive narrative of the abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir.

The state has total 8,98,39,600 voters, including 1,06,76,013 in the age group of 18 to 25 years.

A total of 6.5 lakh polling personnel have been deployed at 96,661 polling booths across the state. Nearly 1,35,021 VVPAT (voter verifiable paper audit trail) machines have also been installed.

Of the 288 constituencies, Nanded-South seat has the maximum 38 candidates, while Chiplun in Ratnagiri district has just three nominees.

In the 2014 elections, the BJP won 122 seats, the Sena-63, the Congress-42 and the NCP-41.

Later, two by-elections were held due to the death of MLAs Krushna Ghoda (Palghar) and Bala Sawant (Bandra-East). The Sena manged to retain both the seats.

In the run-up to the polls, several legislators of the Congress and NCP switched sides to the ruling BJP and Sena. Some of them also managed to get tickets for the polls.

Also read: Four big parties to shape Maharashtra's political space

19:37 October 21

India Today - Axis My India exit polls
India Today - Axis My India exit polls

19:22 October 21

Times Now Exit poll
Times Now Exit poll

19:22 October 21

Republic TV - Jan Ki Baat exit polls
Republic TV - Jan Ki Baat exit polls

19:22 October 21

News 18- IPSOS exit polls
News 18- IPSOS exit polls

19:18 October 21

ABP exit polls
ABP exit polls

18:26 October 21

63% voting in Maha Assembly poll; turnout similar to 2014

Maharashtra Assembly elections held on Monday saw a voter turnout of around 63 percent, almost matching the 63.38 percent polling recorded in the last state elections in 2014.      

Rural areas of the state fared better, with voters there showing more enthusiasm than their urban counterparts.      

Polling began at 7 am and ended at 6 pm. Altogether 54.53 percent voters exercised their franchise till 5 pm, a poll official said.

18:05 October 21

BJP's JP Nadda to hold meet with party gen secy's over Maha, Haryana polls

BJP National Working President JP Nadda will hold a meeting with the party's general secretaries tomorrow at BJP headquarters over Maharashtra and Haryana Assembly polls. Other matters are also likely to be taken up at the meeting.

17:58 October 21

BSP leader throws ink on EVM machine in Thane

A Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) leader threw ink on an EVM in a polling booth situated in the Thane Head Post Office, police said.

Sunil Khambe, a local-level leader, threw ink on the machine after he had cast his vote in the Assembly polls underway. A video of his act was widely circulated soon after on social media.

While being bundled into the police van, Khambe told reporters that he did this as EVMs were making a "mockery of democracy".

17:55 October 21

59 VVPATs, 19 EVMs replaced in Nagpur district

59 VVPATs, 19 EVMs replaced in Nagpur district
59 VVPATs, 19 EVMs replaced in Nagpur district

As many as 59 VVPATs and 19 EVMs were replaced in Nagpur district following malfunction.

The VVPAT machines, 34 control units and 19 ballot units (EVMs) were replaced due to technical glitches in 12 assembly constituencies of the district, the District information office said.
 

17:49 October 21

Voter turnout in Maharashtra was recorded at 54.79 percent till 5:30 pm.
 

17:49 October 21

Former President Pratibha Patil cast her vote at NCL School in Pune
Former President Pratibha Patil cast her vote at NCL School in Pune

Former President Pratibha Patil cast her vote at NCL School in Pune
 

17:28 October 21

BJP MP from Punjab's Gurdaspur Sunny Deol cast his vote at a polling booth in Juhu, Mumbai.
BJP MP from Punjab's Gurdaspur Sunny Deol cast his vote at a polling booth in Juhu, Mumbai.

BJP MP from Punjab's Gurdaspur Sunny Deol cast his vote at a polling booth in Juhu, Mumbai.

17:20 October 21

Chief secretary Ajoy Mehta cast his vote along with family at Activity High School

Chief secretary Ajoy Mehta cast his vote along with family at Activity High School and appealed others to exercise their right to vote.

16:49 October 21

Bollywood actor Salman Khan cast his vote from Bandra West
Bollywood actor Salman Khan cast his vote from Bandra West

Bollywood actor Salman Khan cast his vote from Bandra West

16:48 October 21

RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat cast his vote from Nagpur

16:29 October 21

Voter turnout in Maharashtra was recorded at 43.84 percent till 4:30 pm.
 

16:08 October 21

Haji Ibrahim Aleem Joad, a 102-year-old man, casts his vote at a polling booth in Lohegaon

Haji Ibrahim Aleem Joad, a 102-year-old man, cast his vote along with his family at a polling booth in Lohegaon.

"I was admitted in a hospital for four days but today I'm here to cast my vote. I urge everyone to come forward and vote, ' said the centenarian after casting his vote.

15:55 October 21

Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan leave after casting their vote in Juhu
Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan leave after casting their vote in Juhu

Jaya Bachchan, Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan leave after casting their vote at a polling booth in Juhu, Mumbai.

15:50 October 21

Voter turnout in Maharashtra was recorded at 39.9 percent till 3.30 pm.

15:25 October 21

Polling in Wardha assembly contituency got delayed by a few hours following an EVM malfunction.

Voting was, however, resumed after the faulty EVM was replaced by authorities concerned.

Similar incidents of EVM malfunction was reported from six other polling stations in Wardha during a mock poll.
 

15:09 October 21

Badshah of Bollywood Shahrukh Khan voted in Mumbai

Badshah of Bollywood Shahrukh Khan and his wife Gauri cast their votes at polling booth no. 177 in Bandra West, Mumbai. 

14:57 October 21

Election Commission came up with an innovative way to help voters reach their booth in Satara's Kambleshwar village despite heavy rainfall. 
 

14:46 October 21

Sushma Satpute, Election Commission officer
Sushma Satpute, Election Commission officer

Sushma Satpute, Election Commission officer at Worli said, "There was some issue in an electronic voting machine (EVM) at polling booth number 62 of Worli Assembly constituency but the machine has been replaced and voting is going on."

14:36 October 21

Singer Anup Jalota voted in Mumbai

Singer Anup Jalota voted in Mumbai for Maharashtra Assembly Election 2019.

14:33 October 21

Shabana Azmi and Javed Akhtar exercised their franchise

Shabana Azmi and Javed Akhtar exercised their franchise at a polling booth in Mumbai. 

14:26 October 21

Actress Deepika Padukone cast her vote

Actress Deepika Padukone cast her vote at a polling booth in Bandra (West), Mumbai.

14:25 October 21

Khilari Ram Sharma who is 100-year-old voted in Mumbai's Bhandup

 Khilari Ram Sharma who is 100-year-old, voted in Mumbai's Bhandup. Sharma has voted in all the elections since India became independent. 
 Sharma was born on August 19, 1919.

14:19 October 21

The polling percentage across 288 Assembly Constituencies in Maharashtra is 30.75% till 2 pm. 

13:59 October 21

Actors Anil Kapoor and Hrithik Roshan cast their vote

Actors Anil Kapoor and Hrithik Roshan, leave after casting their vote at a polling booth in Andheri (West).

13:28 October 21

Actor and BJP MP Hema Malini cast her vote

Actor and BJP MP Hema Malini cast her vote at a polling booth in Mumbai's Andheri (West).

13:12 October 21

Union Minister Smriti Irani cast her vote at a polling booth in Mumbai

Union Minister Smriti Irani cast her vote at a polling booth in Mumbai.

A 93-year-old army veteran also turned up to exercise his franchise. His efforts and enthusiasm were appreciated by the Union Minister.

Irani said, "Today's hero is Khanna ji (man standing next to her), he had served in Army. He is 93 and came out to vote. It is an inspiration, I request people to come out and vote, if at 93 he can vote then who is stopping you?

13:10 October 21

Salman Khan's brother Sohail Khan casts his ballot

Salman Khan's brother Sohail Khan casts his ballot for the Maharashtra Election 2019.

12:52 October 21

Swabhimani Paksha candidate shot at, thrashed

Swabhimani Paksha candidate shot at, thrashed

Nagpur: Three motorcycle-borne masked men fired at a candidate of pro-farmer outfit Swabhimani Paksha on Monday when he was going in a car, and also beat him up after pulling him out of the vehicle in Maharashtra's Amravati district, police said.

The attackers later set the car ablaze, Shendurjana Ghat police station's inspector Maruti Gedam said.

The incident took place on Malkhed road in Amravati, located around 150 km from here, he said.

Devendra Bhuyar, the nominee of Raju Shetti's Swabhimani Paksha from Morshi seat, was going to Warud in a car along with some workers of the outfit when the three masked persons fired at him around 5:30 am, Gedam said.

The attackers later forcefully stopped the vehicle, pulled out its occupants and thrashed them, he said.

They then poured petrol on Bhuyar's vehicle and set it afire before running away, the official said.

Bhuyar was taken to a hospital where his condition was reported to be normal, he said.

Bhuyar, whose outfit is an ally of the Congress and NCP, is contesting the state Assembly polls against BJP minister Anil Bonde from Morshi seat.

12:40 October 21

Actor Govinda turned up to cast his vote

Actor Govinda and his wife Sunita turned up to cast their votes for the Maharashtra Election 2019 in Andheri (West).

He refused to give any comments when asked about Congress' poor situation.

12:26 October 21

Sachin turns up to vote at Maharashtra Election 2019

Sachin turns up to vote at Maharashtra Election 2019

Batting icon Sachin Tendulkar, wife Anjali and their son Arjun cast their votes at a polling booth in Bandra (West).

12:24 October 21

Voter turnout till 12 noon stands at 16.48% for Maharashtra Assembly Election 2019.

12:01 October 21

Veteran actor Prem Chopra and Director-lyricist Gulzar cast their ballot

Veteran actor Prem Chopra and Director-lyricist Gulzar cast their ballots at a polling booth in Bandra (West).

11:51 October 21

Voter turnout till 11 am stands at 13.13% for Maharashtra Assembly Election 2019.

11:39 October 21

Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray, wife Rashmi, and sons Aditya and Tejas cast their votes

Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray, wife Rashmi, and sons Aditya and Tejas cast their votes at Bandra East.

Aditya Thackeray is a candidate from Worli constituency.

11:32 October 21

Union Minister Prakash Javadekar casts his vote

Union Minister Prakash Javadekar casts his vote

Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change Prakash Javadekar exercised his franchise at a polling booth for the 2019 Maharashtra Assembly elections.
 

10:56 October 21

Madhuri Dixit votes at polling booth in Bandra (West)

Madhuri Dixit votes at polling booth in Bandra (West)

Actress Madhuri Dixit exercised her franchise at a polling booth in Bandra (West) for the 2019 Maharashtra Assembly elections.
 

10:46 October 21

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, his wife Amruta and mother Sarita cast their votes at a polling booth in Maharashtra

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, his wife Amruta and mother Sarita cast their votes at a polling booth in Maharashtra's Nagpur.

10:42 October 21

Power cut at a polling booth in Pune's Shivaji Nagar

Pune: Voting continued despite experiencing power cut at a polling booth in Pune's Shivaji Nagar.

"The electricity supply is not there at this school. The problem was found in an electricity meter. Till now, it has not been resolved. Meanwhile, a generator is being provided by Election Commission. Voting is underway. There is no problem in that," said Sanjay Padhtare, Sector Officer.

Polling officials had candles placed at their tables to help them tally voter details properly. 

Padhtare said that eight polling stations have been affected due to the unavailability of electricity.

10:35 October 21

NCP President Sharad Pawar exercises his franchise

NCP President Sharad Pawar exercises his franchise

NCP chief Sharad Pawar along with son-in-law Sadanand Sule and granddaughter Revati Sule, exercised his franchise at Tardeo in Mumbai.

The grand-nephew of NCP President, Rohit Pawar is debuting from Karjat-Jamkhed constituency. He is pitted against BJP's Ram Shankar Shinde for this seat.

10:30 October 21

Riteish Deshmukh and Genelia D'Souza arrive at polling booth

Riteish Deshmukh and Genelia D'Souza arrive at polling booth

Actor Riteish Deshmukh along with his wife Genelia D'Souza cast his vote at a polling booth in Latur for the Maharashtra Assembly Election 2019.

His brothers Amit Deshmukh and Dhiraj Deshmukh are contesting polls as Congress candidates from Latur city and Latur rural constituencies, respectively.

10:10 October 21

Mahesh Bhupati and Lara Dutta cast their votes

Former tennis player Mahesh Bhupati along with his wife and actor Lara Dutta cast his vote

Former tennis player Mahesh Bhupati along with his wife and actor Lara Dutta cast his vote at a polling booth in Bandra (West).

10:04 October 21

Actor Aamir Khan spotted at polling booth in Bandra (West)

Actor Aamir Khan spotted at polling booth in Bandra (West)

Actor Aamir Khan gave his vote at a polling booth in Bandra (West).

Talking to media, he said, "I appeal to all citizens of Maharashtra to come out and vote in large numbers."

09:51 October 21

Shubha Khote, Ravi Kishan, Padmini Kolhapure cast their votes

Ravi Kishan, Padmini Kolhapure, Shubha Khote cast their votes

Actor and BJP MP from Gorakhpur (UP) Ravi Kishan & actress Padmini Kolhapure cast their votes at polling booths in Mumbai's Goregaon and Andheri (West) constituency, respectively.

Earlier, actress Shubha Khote exercised her franchise for the Andheri West constituency. 
 

09:42 October 21

Differently-abled voters exercise their franchise

Differently-abled voters exercise their franchise

Differently-abled voters were brought to polling booths on wheelchair compatible vehicles by the Election Commission in Sewri, Mumbai.

09:27 October 21

Voter turnout till 9 am stands at 5.29% for Maharashtra Assembly Election 2019.

09:17 October 21

Balasaheb Thorat casts his vote

Balasaheb Thorat cast his vote along with the family members

Senior Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Praful Patel and his wife Varsha cast their votes at a polling booth in Gondia assembly constituency. 

Gopal Agarwal from BJP and Amar Varade from Congress are contesting from this constituency.
 

09:09 October 21

Praful Patel and his wife exercise their franchise

Praful Patel and his wife exercise their franchise

Senior Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Supriya Sule casts her vote in Baramati.

Her cousin and NCP leader Ajit Pawar is contesting against BJP's Gopichand Padalkar from the constituency.

08:56 October 21

NCP leader Supriya Sule casts her vote in Baramati

NCP leader Supriya Sule casts her vote in Baramati

Union Minister Nitin Gadkari and his wife Kanchan cast their votes in Nagpur. 

08:23 October 21

Union Minister Nitin Gadkari exercises his franchise

Union Minister Nitin Gadkari exercises his franchise

National Award winning actor Atul Kulkarni exercised his franchise in the 2019 Maharashtra Assembly elections.

08:18 October 21

Union Minister Piyush Goyal casts his ballot in Mumbai

Union Minister Piyush Goyal casts his ballot in Mumbai

National Award winning actor Atul Kulkarni exercised his franchise in the 2019 Maharashtra Assembly elections.

08:03 October 21

Actor Atul Kulkarni exercises his franchise

Actor Atul Kulkarni exercises his franchise

National Award winning actor Atul Kulkarni exercised his franchise in the 2019 Maharashtra Assembly elections.

07:43 October 21

NCP leader Ajit Pawar casts his ballot

Senior Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader and candidate from Baramati, Ajit Pawar casts his vote.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweets: Elections are taking place for Haryana & Maharashtra assemblies. There are also by-polls taking place in various parts of India. I urge voters in these states & seats to turnout in record numbers & enrich the festival of democracy. I hope youngsters vote in large numbers.
 

07:37 October 21

Julio Ribeiro casts his vote for Worli

Julio Ribeiro casts his vote for Worli
Julio Ribeiro casts his vote for Worli

Voting begins for Maharashtra Elections

Voting for the assembly polls have begun in Maharashtra, where the BJP is seeking a second term in power and hopes for an easy victory. 

Polling is underway for 288 constituencies in the stae of Maharashtra.

07:22 October 21

Mohan Bhagwat casts his vote

Mohan Bhagwat casts his vote

Mumbai: Polling will be held on Monday in all 288 Assembly constituencies of Maharashtra where 3,237 candidates, including 235 women, are in the fray. The voting will be held from 7 am to 6 pm.

Prominent candidates include Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis from Nagpur South-West, and his predecessors from the Congress -- Ashok Chavan, who is contesting from Bhokar in Nanded district, and Prithviraj Chavan, who is seeking a re-election from Karad South in Satara district.

The BJP, under Fadnavis' leadership, is seeking a second straight term in the state.

Aaditya Thackeray, the son of Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray, has also entered the poll fray from Worli constituency in Mumbai. The 29-year-old Yuva Sena chief is the first leader from his family to make a debut in electoral politics.

Voting is also underway for the byelection to Satara Lok Sabha constituency, where former NCP leader and sitting MP Udayanraje Bhosale is in the fray on BJP's ticket against Shriniwas Patil of the Congress-NCP combine.

The BJP has fielded its nominees in 164 Assembly seats, including candidates of smaller allies contesting on its lotus symbol, while the Sena is contesting 124 seats.

On the other hand, the opposition Congress has fielded 147 candidates and its ally NCP 121. The main contest is between the 'Mahayuti' or grand alliance led by the BJP, and the 'maha-aghadi' (front) led by the Congress and NCP.

Among other parties, the Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) has fielded 101 candidates.

As many as 1,400 Independents are also in the fray.

The electioncampaign, which ended on Saturday evening, was dominated by the BJP's aggressive narrative of the abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir.

The state has total 8,98,39,600 voters, including 1,06,76,013 in the age group of 18 to 25 years.

A total of 6.5 lakh polling personnel have been deployed at 96,661 polling booths across the state. Nearly 1,35,021 VVPAT (voter verifiable paper audit trail) machines have also been installed.

Of the 288 constituencies, Nanded-South seat has the maximum 38 candidates, while Chiplun in Ratnagiri district has just three nominees.

In the 2014 elections, the BJP won 122 seats, the Sena-63, the Congress-42 and the NCP-41.

Later, two by-elections were held due to the death of MLAs Krushna Ghoda (Palghar) and Bala Sawant (Bandra-East). The Sena manged to retain both the seats.

In the run-up to the polls, several legislators of the Congress and NCP switched sides to the ruling BJP and Sena. Some of them also managed to get tickets for the polls.

Also read: Four big parties to shape Maharashtra's political space

07:19 October 21

PM urges youngsters to vote

  • Elections are taking place for Haryana and Maharashtra assemblies. There are also by-polls taking place in various parts of India. I urge voters in these states and seats to turnout in record numbers and enrich the festival of democracy. I hope youngsters vote in large numbers.

    — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) October 21, 2019 " class="align-text-top noRightClick twitterSection" data=" ">

Mumbai: Polling will be held on Monday in all 288 Assembly constituencies of Maharashtra where 3,237 candidates, including 235 women, are in the fray. The voting will be held from 7 am to 6 pm.

Prominent candidates include Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis from Nagpur South-West, and his predecessors from the Congress -- Ashok Chavan, who is contesting from Bhokar in Nanded district, and Prithviraj Chavan, who is seeking a re-election from Karad South in Satara district.

The BJP, under Fadnavis' leadership, is seeking a second straight term in the state.

Aaditya Thackeray, the son of Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray, has also entered the poll fray from Worli constituency in Mumbai. The 29-year-old Yuva Sena chief is the first leader from his family to make a debut in electoral politics.

Voting is also underway for the byelection to Satara Lok Sabha constituency, where former NCP leader and sitting MP Udayanraje Bhosale is in the fray on BJP's ticket against Shriniwas Patil of the Congress-NCP combine.

The BJP has fielded its nominees in 164 Assembly seats, including candidates of smaller allies contesting on its lotus symbol, while the Sena is contesting 124 seats.

On the other hand, the opposition Congress has fielded 147 candidates and its ally NCP 121. The main contest is between the 'Mahayuti' or grand alliance led by the BJP, and the 'maha-aghadi' (front) led by the Congress and NCP.

Among other parties, the Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) has fielded 101 candidates.

As many as 1,400 Independents are also in the fray.

The electioncampaign, which ended on Saturday evening, was dominated by the BJP's aggressive narrative of the abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir.

The state has total 8,98,39,600 voters, including 1,06,76,013 in the age group of 18 to 25 years.

A total of 6.5 lakh polling personnel have been deployed at 96,661 polling booths across the state. Nearly 1,35,021 VVPAT (voter verifiable paper audit trail) machines have also been installed.

Of the 288 constituencies, Nanded-South seat has the maximum 38 candidates, while Chiplun in Ratnagiri district has just three nominees.

In the 2014 elections, the BJP won 122 seats, the Sena-63, the Congress-42 and the NCP-41.

Later, two by-elections were held due to the death of MLAs Krushna Ghoda (Palghar) and Bala Sawant (Bandra-East). The Sena manged to retain both the seats.

In the run-up to the polls, several legislators of the Congress and NCP switched sides to the ruling BJP and Sena. Some of them also managed to get tickets for the polls.

Also read: Four big parties to shape Maharashtra's political space

07:09 October 21

Voting begins for Maharashtra Elections

Mumbai: Polling will be held on Monday in all 288 Assembly constituencies of Maharashtra where 3,237 candidates, including 235 women, are in the fray. The voting will be held from 7 am to 6 pm.

Prominent candidates include Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis from Nagpur South-West, and his predecessors from the Congress -- Ashok Chavan, who is contesting from Bhokar in Nanded district, and Prithviraj Chavan, who is seeking a re-election from Karad South in Satara district.

The BJP, under Fadnavis' leadership, is seeking a second straight term in the state.

Aaditya Thackeray, the son of Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray, has also entered the poll fray from Worli constituency in Mumbai. The 29-year-old Yuva Sena chief is the first leader from his family to make a debut in electoral politics.

Voting is also underway for the byelection to Satara Lok Sabha constituency, where former NCP leader and sitting MP Udayanraje Bhosale is in the fray on BJP's ticket against Shriniwas Patil of the Congress-NCP combine.

The BJP has fielded its nominees in 164 Assembly seats, including candidates of smaller allies contesting on its lotus symbol, while the Sena is contesting 124 seats.

On the other hand, the opposition Congress has fielded 147 candidates and its ally NCP 121. The main contest is between the 'Mahayuti' or grand alliance led by the BJP, and the 'maha-aghadi' (front) led by the Congress and NCP.

Among other parties, the Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) has fielded 101 candidates.

As many as 1,400 Independents are also in the fray.

The electioncampaign, which ended on Saturday evening, was dominated by the BJP's aggressive narrative of the abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir.

The state has total 8,98,39,600 voters, including 1,06,76,013 in the age group of 18 to 25 years.

A total of 6.5 lakh polling personnel have been deployed at 96,661 polling booths across the state. Nearly 1,35,021 VVPAT (voter verifiable paper audit trail) machines have also been installed.

Of the 288 constituencies, Nanded-South seat has the maximum 38 candidates, while Chiplun in Ratnagiri district has just three nominees.

In the 2014 elections, the BJP won 122 seats, the Sena-63, the Congress-42 and the NCP-41.

Later, two by-elections were held due to the death of MLAs Krushna Ghoda (Palghar) and Bala Sawant (Bandra-East). The Sena manged to retain both the seats.

In the run-up to the polls, several legislators of the Congress and NCP switched sides to the ruling BJP and Sena. Some of them also managed to get tickets for the polls.

Also read: Four big parties to shape Maharashtra's political space

02:16 October 21

60.5% voting in Maha Assembly poll; turnout lower than 2014

Mumbai: Polling will be held on Monday in all 288 Assembly constituencies of Maharashtra where 3,237 candidates, including 235 women, are in the fray. The voting will be held from 7 am to 6 pm.

Prominent candidates include Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis from Nagpur South-West, and his predecessors from the Congress -- Ashok Chavan, who is contesting from Bhokar in Nanded district, and Prithviraj Chavan, who is seeking a re-election from Karad South in Satara district.

The BJP, under Fadnavis' leadership, is seeking a second straight term in the state.

Aaditya Thackeray, the son of Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray, has also entered the poll fray from Worli constituency in Mumbai. The 29-year-old Yuva Sena chief is the first leader from his family to make a debut in electoral politics.

Voting is also underway for the byelection to Satara Lok Sabha constituency, where former NCP leader and sitting MP Udayanraje Bhosale is in the fray on BJP's ticket against Shriniwas Patil of the Congress-NCP combine.

The BJP has fielded its nominees in 164 Assembly seats, including candidates of smaller allies contesting on its lotus symbol, while the Sena is contesting 124 seats.

On the other hand, the opposition Congress has fielded 147 candidates and its ally NCP 121. The main contest is between the 'Mahayuti' or grand alliance led by the BJP, and the 'maha-aghadi' (front) led by the Congress and NCP.

Among other parties, the Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) has fielded 101 candidates.

As many as 1,400 Independents are also in the fray.

The electioncampaign, which ended on Saturday evening, was dominated by the BJP's aggressive narrative of the abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir.

The state has total 8,98,39,600 voters, including 1,06,76,013 in the age group of 18 to 25 years.

A total of 6.5 lakh polling personnel have been deployed at 96,661 polling booths across the state. Nearly 1,35,021 VVPAT (voter verifiable paper audit trail) machines have also been installed.

Of the 288 constituencies, Nanded-South seat has the maximum 38 candidates, while Chiplun in Ratnagiri district has just three nominees.

In the 2014 elections, the BJP won 122 seats, the Sena-63, the Congress-42 and the NCP-41.

Later, two by-elections were held due to the death of MLAs Krushna Ghoda (Palghar) and Bala Sawant (Bandra-East). The Sena manged to retain both the seats.

In the run-up to the polls, several legislators of the Congress and NCP switched sides to the ruling BJP and Sena. Some of them also managed to get tickets for the polls.

Also read: Four big parties to shape Maharashtra's political space

Intro:Body:

top11


Conclusion:
Last Updated : Oct 21, 2019, 9:38 PM IST
ETV Bharat Logo

Copyright © 2024 Ushodaya Enterprises Pvt. Ltd., All Rights Reserved.