The final turnout in the Maharashtra Assembly Elections 2024 was 66.05 per cent as per electronic voting machines (EVM) votes, up from 61.1 per cent in 2019, Election Commission (EC) officials said on Thursday. The polling percentage for the Nanded Lok Sabha bypoll was 67.81 per cent, news agency PTI reported quoting EC. Polls to the 288-member state assembly were held on Wednesday, while votes will be counted on Saturday. "The official figures for each assembly constituency will depend on the count of postal ballots reported. The 66 per cent turnout figure refers specifically to the votes cast on electronic voting machines," the chief electoral officer said in a statement. The surge, excluding postal ballots, highlighted the EC's efforts to engage a broader electorate, the statement added. Kolhapur led with 76.63 per cent, followed by 75.26 per cent in Gadchiroli, which has some Left-Wing Extremism-affected pockets, while the lowest was in Mumbai Island City at 52.07 per cent and 55.95 per cent in the metropolis' suburban district. More than 68,000 citizens aged above 85 and 12,000 individuals with disabilities cast their votes through home voting. "Additionally, 36,000 voters from essential services used postal voting. A total of 4,66,823 postal ballots were issued to voters on election duty, and around 16,000 Electronically Transmittable Postal Ballots (ETPB) were accepted for service voters," it said. EC's second 'special summary survey revision' conducted in August and September added nearly 4 million new voters, with more than half of these registrations coming from the 18-19 age group, PTI reported quoting the poll body statement. Special attention was given to enrolling electors from the third gender, Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) and Persons with Disabilities (PwDs). "To improve the voting experience, efforts were made to rationalise polling stations and reduce voter congestion. This de-clustering initiative affected over 5,800 locations, establishing over 1,100 polling stations in high-rise buildings and housing societies, as well as an additional 200 in slum areas across the state," the EC said. A total of 288 counting centres have been set up, including one for the Nanded Lok Sabha bypoll that was also held on Wednesday. "A total of 288 counting observers will oversee each assembly constituency, with two observers assigned to monitor counting in Nanded [bypoll]," the statement read. The high volume of postal ballots has led to the establishment of 1,732 tables for counting and 592 tables for ETPBMS scanning to ensure a process across all assembly constituencies, EC said. (With PTI inputs)
21 November,2024 10:53 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentAfter the assembly results, the leaders of Mahayuti will sit together and decide who will be the Chief Minister (CM) of Maharashtra, Shiv Sena Member of Parliament (MP) Shrikant Shinde said on Thursday. Speaking to ANI, the Kalyan MP further said that there is "no competition" among leaders in the alliance to become the CM. "All leaders [of Mahayuti] will sit together and decide. There was never a competition among leaders here to be the CM. We want to form the government to do more development work in the next five years. In the past two-and-a-half years, Maha Vikas Aghadi only discussed who will be the CM. They only discussed this each day. Their message did not even reach the public," Shinde told ANI. Reacting to Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray's 'note jihad' dig at Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Shinde said that this is the opposition's attempt to set a "false narrative." "The way they [Opposition] spread fake narrative in Lok Sabha elections... This was an attempt to set a false narrative before the public during [Maharashtra] elections," he added. On Tuesday, Thackeray took a scathing jibe at BJP over the cash-for-votes allegation against the party's general secretary, Vinod Tawde. In Maharashtra, the ruling Mahayuti is poised to retain power in Maharashtra with the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) having an edge to form the government in Jharkhand, too, exit polls predicted on Wednesday as polling concluded in the two states. Most exit polls predicted that while that Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) would put up a strong show in the polls, it is unlikely to cross the majority mark in the 288-member Maharashtra Assembly. According to the P-MARQ exit poll, the Mahayuti alliance would win 137-157 seats while MVA would get 126-147 seats and others two to eight seats. Chanakya Strategies projected that Mahayuti will win 152-150 seats, MVA 130-138 seats, and others six to eight seats. In Maharashtra, the primary contest is between the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance and the Congress-led MVA. The ruling BJP-led Mahayuti alliance includes the BJP, Shiv Sena, and the Nationalist Congress Party, while the opposition MVA comprises the Congress, Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray), and the NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar). This election is significant as it is the first assembly poll in the state following the splits in Shiv Sena and NCP. (With ANI inputs)
21 November,2024 09:07 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentA fire broke out a building at Mumbai's Grant Road on Thursday afternoon, the civic officials said. According to the officials, the blaze was reported at the Siddheshwar Joity building. The fire was reported to the civic body at around 3:55 pm following which the Mumbai Fire Brigade officials rushed to the spot and launched a fire-fighting operation. The officials said that the fire was confined to a flat on the 36th floor of the high-rise building, triggered a response from the Mumbai Fire Brigade (MFB). According to officials, the fire caused significant smoke logging on the 36th floor of the building, which has a total of 40 floors above the ground level. The building is a prominent structure, with multiple residential flats on various levels, they said. The Mumbai Fire Brigade has declared the blaze as a a Level 1 (L-1) fire, indicating that the situation was under control but still requiring intervention. So far there were no reports of injuries in the incident. Palghar: Fire breaks out at carpet warehouse; no casualty Meanwhile, in an another incident in Palghar district in Maharashtra, a fire official said that a massive fire broke out on Thursday morning in a warehouse where carpets were kept in Maharashtra's Palghar district, reported news agency PTI. No person was reported to be injured in the incident, the official said, adding that goods stored in the godown were destroyed in the fire. The blaze erupted at around 7 am in the warehouse of a company making PVC carpets at Boisar in Mahagaon area, Boisar MIDC fire station officer Vaibhav Tandel told the PTI while sharing at update on the Palghar fire. Following an alert, four fire brigade engines from Boisar and nearby places were rushed to the spot. The blaze was brought under control at around 9.30 am, the civic official said, adding cooling operations were currently underway, reported PTI. A probe was on to ascertain the cause of the fire, he said while sharing at update on the Palghar fire, the news agency reported on Thursday. (with PTI inputs)
21 November,2024 08:12 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentBhandup West registered the highest voter turnout in Mumbai at 62.88 per cent of registered voters showing up at the polling booth to vote for the Maharashtra Assembly Elections 2024 on Wednesday. Meanwhile, with just 44.4 per cent, Colaba recorded the lowest turnout in Mumbai. The lowest voter turnout in the suburbs was recorded at the Bandra West Assembly Constituency (51.36) while the highest in the Island City was registered in Mahim — 59.01. Overall, Mumbai recorded a voting percentage of 54.52 per cent for the Maharashtra Assembly Elections 2024, higher from the 52.79 per cent registered five years ago. Here is the full data of Mumbai's voter turnout in the Maharashtra Assembly Elections 2024: Here’s the final voter turnout for the Maharashtra Assembly Elections 2024 in Mumbai and the suburbs.Via: @PrajaktaKasale#MaharashtraAssemblyElections2024 #MaharashtraAssemblyElections #MaharashtraElections2024 #voting #mumbai #mumbaisuburbs pic.twitter.com/qYoqTRKF1n — Mid Day (@mid_day) November 21, 2024 The voting percentage in the Island City was 52.65 per cent, up from 48.4 per cent in 2019, while it was 56.39 per cent in the suburban district, which is a dip from 57.19 per cent in 2019, reported news agency PTI quoting the figures released by the Election Commission of India. The country's financial capital has 36 assembly constituencies, of which 10 are in the Island City while the remaining are in the suburban district. The ECI data highlighted that in the 2019 assembly elections, six of the 10 constituencies in the Island City had recorded less than 50 per cent voter turnout, with Colaba again at the bottom with 40.13 per cent. Similarly, eight of the 26 constituencies in Mumbai's suburbs had recorded less than 50 per cent turnout. As per EC data, Bhandup West was followed by Borivali (62.32 per cent) and Mulund (61.42 per cent). Bandra West was the lowest in the suburban district with polling percentage of 51.36 per cent, followed by Versova at 51.44 per cent. Apart from Colaba, Mumbadevi also failed to breach the 50 per cent-mark and recorded only 48.76 voter turnout for the Maharashtra Assembly Elections 2024, reported PTI. Mahim recorded the highest turnout at 59.01 per cent, followed by Wadala at 57.67 per cent, EC data showed. Interestingly, the voter apathy in Colaba in the past polls was highlighted by Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar during a press conference in New Delhi on October 15 when the poll schedule for Maharashtra and Jharkhand were announced. "If areas in Jammu and Kashmir like Doda, Reasi, Poonch and Rajouri can witness more than 70 per cent polling, Colaba can also do better," Kumar had said then. Poll officials in Mumbai had said they had taken several steps to increase voter turnout. These included facilities such as drinking water, clean toilets, waiting rooms, wheelchairs for disabled voters, volunteers for disabled voters, fans, dustbins, medical kits, and signboards at more than 10,000 polling stations, the officials said. (With PTI inputs)
21 November,2024 07:57 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentWestern Railway on Thursday, while sharing Mumbai local train updates, said that it will operate a night block Vasai Road Yard on the intervening night of November 22-23. According to an official statement, the Western Railway said that to carry out maintenance work of tracks, signaling and overhead equipment, a jumbo block of three hours will be taken from 00:15 hrs to 03:15 hrs at Vasai Road Yard including all Goods line during the intervening night of Friday and Saturday, i.e. on 22nd /23rd November, 2024. "There will be no block in day over Western Railway suburban section on Sunday, 24th November, 2024," the Western Railway said. Central Railway and Western Railway get new Mumbai local trains after four years Meanwhile, after a long wait of about four years, both Central Railway (CR) and Western Railway (WR) are receiving new local trains, the officials said on Tuesday. While WR is getting an AC local train with the hope of increasing services, CR is receiving a non-AC regular local train, which will mostly be used to replace older trains on the Harbour Line. "We have received a non-AC local train, which will mostly be used to replace the older train in use on the Harbour Line. There will be no new services, but it will be used as a replacement," a CR official said. "For WR, an AC suburban rake has been dispatched from the Integral Coach Factory (ICF) in Chennai, but we have yet to finalise any details about service upgrades for the AC rakes. Our team is working on it," a WR official said. Following demands from commuters, Western Railway had sought more AC local trains from the Railway Board. After this, it was decided to allot eight new underslung AC rakes in the financial years 2023-2024 and 2024-2025. Of the eight 12-car AC locals, four have been allotted to WR as the first priority, and one each to Eastern Railway, headquartered in Kolkata, and Southern Railway, headquartered in Chennai, as second and third priorities, respectively. WR currently operates 96 AC services with seven AC trains. There is no immediate update about any new AC services or trains allotted to Central Railway, as there has been opposition from commuters. AC trains on CR have become a political issue since August 2022, with NCP president Sharad Pawar calling for their complete withdrawal from the city and the restoration of regular services for working-class commuters.
21 November,2024 05:24 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentBJP candidate Ram Kadam on Thursday expressed strong confidence that the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance will secure a clear majority in the Maharashtra Assembly elections without any close competition, reported the ANI. Kadam, who is contesting from the Ghatkopar West Assembly seat, asserted that there was no significant competition in the polls. Kadam criticised the opposition Maha Vikash Aghadi (MVA), alleging that they misled the electorate to garner votes, referring to them as the "Maha Vasooli Aghadi." He emphasised that the Mahayuti alliance is unified and has a clear candidate for the Chief Minister position. "There is no close competition. Mahayuti will form the government with a clear majority...Maha Vikas Aghadi, actually 'Maha Vasooli Aghadi' tried to misguide people and get their votes. Even the people were angry that MVA considered them foolish...Mahayuti is clear with their CM face. It will form the government," Kadam said. Earlier on Thursday, Medha Kulkarni, National Vice President of the BJP Mahila Morcha, remarked on the encouraging exit poll projections, indicating that the Mahayuti alliance is poised to return to power. She said that beneficiaries of the Ladki Bahin Yojana, were likely to have voted in favour of the ruling party. "The exit poll is encouraging...Beneficiaries of Ladki Bahin Yojana have voted for the government...Mahayuti will form the government in the state again and I congratulate for that in advance," Kulkarni said. The Maharashtra Assembly elections, which were held on Wednesday across 288 assembly seats, have seen exit polls suggesting that BJP-led Mahayuti will be forming government in Maharashtra. According to the reports, the Republic TV-PMARQ exit poll, the Mahayuti alliance could win 137-157 seats. In contrast, the MVA is projected to secure between 126 to 147 seats and others 2-8 seats. The Mahayuti coalition includes the BJP, Shiv Sena, and NCP, while the opposition MVA comprises Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT), and NCP (SP). Deputy CM Devenra Fadnavis confident of BJP'S win in the state, watch video: According to the reports, Matrize exit poll projected 150-170 seats for the Mahayuti alliance and 110-130 seats for Maha Vikas Aghadi. It said others could get 8-10 seats, stated ANI. Chanakya Strategies projected that Mahayuti will win 152-150 seats, MVA 130-138 seats and others 6-8 seats. 'Peoples Pulse' projected Mahayuti scoring a decisive victory by getting 175-195 seats. It said Maha Vikas Aghadi is poised to get 85-112 seats and 'others' winning 7-12 seats, stated ANI The exit polls reflect a competitive landscape, with the majority mark set at 145 seats. Notably, the voter turnout was recorded at 58.22 per cent by 5 pm on election day. This election is particularly significant as it’s the first assembly poll in the state after splits in Shiv Sena and NCP. In the previous 2019 Maharashtra assembly elections, the BJP secured 105 seats, the Shiv Sena claimed 56, and the Congress won 44. In 2014, the BJP had a stronger performance with 122 seats. (With inputs from ANI)
21 November,2024 05:14 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentThe Bombay High Court on Thursday granted bail to consultant Chetan Patil arrested in connection with the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj statue collapse case, reported the PTI. A 35-foot statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj installed at at Rajkot fort in Malvan area of Maharashtra had collapsed leading to public unrest and political tussles between the ruling and Opposition parties. A statue of the iconic Maratha warrior king collapsed in Sindhudurg district on August 26, nearly nine months after Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled it on Navy Day. Chetan Patil was arrested on August 30 from Kolhapur district in Maharashtra. According to the PTI, a single bench of Justice A S Kilor on Thursday held that no case was made out to implicate Patil in the case as he had not been appointed as the structural designer of the statue. The bench further said Patil had only submitted a structural stability report of the pedestal of the statue and the pedestal was intact even after the collapse. Another accused, Jaydeep Apte, who was the sculptor and contractor, was also arrested in the case. The HC said it would hear his bail plea on November 25. The Sindhudurg police had registered an FIR under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for negligence and other offences last month against Apte and Patil for the statue's collapse. Chetan Patil and Jaydeep Apte had moved Bombay High Court seeking bail after a sessions court rejected their pleas. The Opposition had alleged corruption and action was demanded. Initially, the fall was blamed on high winds on the coastal fort of Rajkot. Subsequently, the statue's designer/sculptor Jaydeep Apte and structural consultant Chetan Patil were arrested on the charges of lapses. The Indian Navy had clarified that it had planned and executed the project which was financed by the Maharashtra government. A joint panel headed by senior Indian Navy officer Commodore Pawan Dhingra and experts from state and central Public works departments (PWDs) and IIT-Mumbai was asked to probe. The panel submitted a report to the government on Thursday. It has given reasons that led to the weakening of the structure that stood in coastal weather all through. The report will be submitted to CM Eknath Shinde. (with PTI inputs)
21 November,2024 04:29 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentMumbai Police on Thursday issued restrictions around counting centers in the city ahead of the Maharashtra Assembly election results. In an official preventive order, Mumbai Police said that in light of the upcoming vote counting process scheduled for November 23, 2024, a restriction order to ensure the smooth conduct of the election procedure and to maintain public order was being issued. The order was issued by Akbar Pathan, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Operations), Mumbai Police. The order, which will be in effect from 6:00 am on November 21 until 12:00 midnight on November 24, prohibits any individual, except for election officials or public servants on duty, from loitering or assembling in groups within a 300-meter radius of designated counting centers across the city. The restriction aims to prevent obstruction, public disturbance, and ensure the safety of both the election staff and the public, said the order. It said that no person other than an official engaged in connection with the election or any public servant engaged in duty at or in the vicinity of the counting centers, shall loiter or join or form any assembly or group of persons of any public through fare, highway road, street lane, bye-lane or any other public place within a distance of 300 meters radius from any counting centers. The locations affected by this order include key counting centers spread throughout the city, ranging from Borivali and Dahisar to Andheri, Bandra, Worli, and Colaba. The centers are spread across various municipal schools, community halls, and other public venues that will be used to tally the election results. Details of polling centers in Mumbai The order further said that the necessity of avoiding any risk to the tranquility of the area, aiming to prevent disturbances that may hinder the counting process or create security risks. Elections to the 288-member Maharashtra assembly were held on Wednesday and votes will be counted on Saturday. Mumbai comprises 36 assembly constituencies. An estimated 65 per cent voter turnout was recorded in the Maharashtra assembly elections on November 20. The ruling BJP-led Mahayuti alliance is making a determined bid to retain power and the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) coalition is hoping to continue its good showing in the Lok Sabha polls 2024. The Mumbai police had implemented extensive security measures and have cancelled all leaves for police personnel for the Maharashtra polls. Officers has been deployed across every corner of the city, with more than 30,000 police personnel and officers being on the streets on Wednesday. A similar security preparation has been made for the vote counting day on November 23.
21 November,2024 04:15 PM IST | Mumbai | Asif RizviShiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) leader Sanjay Raut on Thursday dismissed claims made by Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole regarding the formation of a Congress-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government in the state and stated firmly that "no one will accept this," reported news agency ANI. Raut emphasised the need for a collective discussion within the alliance, while speaking to reporters in Mumbai. "I will not accept this, and no one else will accept this. We will sit together and decide if Nana Patole has said this and whether Nana Patole has the Congress high command's backing. The Congress high command has said that if you (Patole) are becoming the Chief Minister, then Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, and Sonia Gandhi should announce it," Raut said. Patole had asserted that the MVA government would be led by the Congress party based on positive voting trends and public sentiment. He expressed confidence that most Congress candidates would be elected in the upcoming assembly election, stating, "Maha Vikas Aghadi government will be formed in Maharashtra under the leadership of Congress." "The way voting trends are coming in and what people are saying, most Congress candidates will be elected in the state. There is no doubt the MVA government will be formed, and the Chief Minister will be from MVA," Patole stated. In addition to addressing the leadership claims, Patole accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of breaching election norms, alleging that their national general secretary was involved in distributing money during the campaign. Patole accused the BJP of engaging in "note jihad," and said, "The BJP's national general secretary was seen distributing money. He didn't follow the code of conduct. Devendra Fadnavis's PA, contesting from Wardha, had liquor bottles found in his warehouse. Wardha is a liquor-ban district. Is the BJP engaging in 'note jihad' by distributing liquor and money? BJP does not believe in the constitutional system.” As the counting of votes approaches on November 23, most exit polls suggest that the Mahayuti alliance, consisting of the BJP, Shiv Sena, and NCP, is likely to retain power. In contrast, the MVA, which includes Congress, NCP (SP), and Shiv Sena (UBT), is expected to perform well but may fall short of a majority. This election marks a significant moment in Maharashtra politics, being the first assembly poll following the splits within the Shiv Sena and NCP. (With inputs from ANI)
21 November,2024 04:03 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentWhile the Election Commission of India’s (ECI) efficient arrangements ensured largely smooth and hassle-free voting in North Mumbai, some expressed concerns about the shuffling of polling booth locations. Many found their usual booths had been relocated, leading to confusion and inconvenience, especially in the Malad and Charkop Assembly constituencies. While this did not disrupt the overall voting process, it caused difficulties for some, especially senior citizens and those unfamiliar with the changes. Abdul Majeed, 55, a resident of Julius Wadi in Malwani, expressed frustration, saying that his family of four used to cast their vote at Mount Mary School. However, this time, the polling centres for three family members were changed to Ramzan Ali School, while his son’s centre was shifted to INS Hamla, Marve. “We had raised a complaint about this to the election office in Kandivli and were assured the issue would be corrected before the elections, but nothing was done,” Majeed said. “On the one hand, the ECI encourages people to vote through voice calls and messages, but on the other, it overlooks the challenges voters face. It should make voting easier, not create difficulties by arbitrarily changing booths and polling centres. Such inconveniences discourage even those who are eager to vote.” Anwar Shaikh said, “I used to vote at Malwani No. 7, while my wife's polling station was Malwani No. 1. I cast my vote and then accompanied her to the spot where she usually goes to vote, only to find that her station had been shifted to another location. Since I knew the address and had a bike, I was able take her there. However, many people were left confused due to the sudden change in polling stations.” He added, “There is no need to change polling stations unnecessarily. If this was done to accommodate more booths due to an increase in voters, I request the ECI not relocate old voters.” ‘Voted for stability’ First-time voter Saily Bhosle, 18, a Magathane resident, said, “I was confused about whom to vote for, but then I listened to people of my generation who emphasised the importance of a stable government that works for the welfare of the people.” Emphrain Sayyed, 18, “Those who work for the progress of the country, regional development and education are the ones every citizen, including myself, should vote for—and that's exactly what I did today. I will continue to vote for governments that prioritise the country's welfare.”
21 November,2024 03:13 PM IST | Mumbai | Samiullah KhanA day after the Maharashtra elections 2024, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut on Thursday claimed the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) will win 160 to 165 seats out of the total 288 and provide a stable government in the state, reported PTI. The Rajya Sabha member also said the MVA leaders will be meeting on Thursday, ahead of the counting of votes which will take place on Saturday. After the polling concluded on Wednesday, most exit polls predicted victory for the BJP-led alliance in Maharashtra while some gave an edge to the MVA coalition in the western state, reported PTI. "We and our allies, including smaller parties like the PWP, Samajwadi Party, the Left parties are crossing the majority mark. We are winning 160-165 seats. There will be a stable government in the state. I can say it very confidently," Raut told reporters. The MVA comprises the Shiv Sena (UBT) led by former chief minister Uddhav Thackeray, Congress and Sharad Pawar's NCP (SP). The ruling Mahayuti consists of the BJP, CM Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena and NCP of Deputy CM Ajit Pawar. While the Mahayuti alliance is making a determined bid to retain power, the opposition MVA coalition is hoping to continue its good showing in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls in the state. An estimated 65 per cent voter turnout was recorded in the Maharashtra elections 2024 on Wednesday, as per the provisional figures, compared to 61.74 per cent in the 2019 state polls. Exit polls do not reflect people's sentiment, MVA will win with comfortable majority: Chennithala Maharashtra AICC in-charge Ramesh Chennithala rejected on Wednesday the exit polls on the possible outcome of the Maharashtra elections 2024, asserting that Maha Vikas Aghadi is poised to clinch a comfortable majority. "Exit polls do not reflect the sentiments of people," Chennithala said after several pollsters gave a clear edge to the BJP-led alliances in Maharashtra and Jharkhand assembly polls, while some put the MVA coalition ahead in the western state, reported PTI. Most of the exit polls that predicted a landslide victory for the NDA after Lok Sabha elections and those predicted Congress' win in Haryana didn't turn out to be true, he said. "We will win Maharashtra polls with a comfortable majority. We don't believe in exit polls. Look at the Parliamentary elections and Haryana elections. The exit polls do not reflect people's sentiments," Chennithala told PTI. The ground reality is MVA scoring the majority and forming a government in Maharashtra, he said. MVA comprises Shiv Sena, headed by Uddhav Thackeray, Congress, and NCP (SP). (With inputs from PTI)
21 November,2024 01:54 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentADVERTISEMENT
