Maharashtra elections 2024: Voters will get all kinds of facilities, says BMC Commissioner Bhushan Gagrani

Bhushan Gagrani

Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) Commissioner and District Election Officer Bhushan Gagrani cast his vote in a polling booth in Mumbai, reported news agency ANI.

Speaking to ANI, Bhusan Gargani said that all the arrangements have been made for the polling day, noting that the queue management, seating arrangement, drinking water, and wheelchair facilities besides other arrangements are in place in polling booths.

"I would like to give people the same message that we have given so far: all arrangements have been made. Voters will get all kinds of facilities; there will be queue management, seating arrangements, drinking water, wheelchairs... We have made wide-scale arrangements for this... Voters of Mumbai should come out to vote in large numbers... There is no reason for voters to not come to voting centres and vote." Bhushan Gagrani told ANI

After casting his vote Bhushan Gagrani showed his inked finger to the media persons outside the polling booth.

Notably, voting began at 7 am on Wednesday for the single phase of the Maharashtra elections 2024 and will conclude at 6 pm. Polling is taking place across 288 assembly constituencies.

A total of 4,136 candidates are contesting the elections, including 2,086 independents. The BJP is contesting 149 seats, Shiv Sena 81, and the NCP 59. The Congress has fielded 101 candidates, Shiv Sena (UBT) 95, and NCP (Sharad Pawar faction) 86. The BSP is contesting 237 seats, while other smaller parties are also in the fray. The state has approximately 9.7 crore registered voters.

Shifting alliances, ideological conflicts, complex caste dynamics, and emotional appeals have characterised the battle for power in the Maharashtra Assembly. The primary contest is between the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance and the Congress-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA).

The ruling BJP-led Mahayuti alliance includes the BJP, Shiv Sena, and the Nationalist Congress Party (Ajit Pawar faction), while the opposition MVA comprises the Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT), and the NCP (Sharad Pawar faction).

In the 2019 Maharashtra assembly elections, the BJP won 105 seats, Shiv Sena secured 56, and the Congress won 44. In 2014, the BJP claimed 122 seats, Shiv Sena 63, and the Congress 42.

Meanwhile, in Mumbai, Rajendra Shankar Kshirsagar, the District Collector and District Magistrate, cast his vote today in a polling booth.

"I cast my vote today. I appeal to everyone to cast their vote," Rajendra Shankar Kshirsagar said to media persons after casting his vote, reported ANI.

(With inputs from ANI)