Maharashtra Assembly elections: Voting underway with security and transparency measures in place

Polling begins in Maharashtra Assembly elections

Voting in Maharashtra‘s 288 Assembly constituencies began at 7 a.m. on Tuesday and will continue until 6 p.m. The elections are being held across 1,00,186 polling stations, with 42,604 located in urban areas and 57,582 in rural regions.

This election is a high-stakes contest between two major political alliances: the MahaYuti, which includes the BJP, Shiv Sena, and NCP, and the Maha Vikas Aghadi, consisting of Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT), and NCP (SP). Approximately 9.70 crore voters—5.22 crore men and 4.69 crore women—are eligible to cast their ballots. Pune district has the highest number of voters.

A total of 4,136 candidates are vying for seats, including 3,771 men, 363 women, and two others. Key political figures in the election include Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Deputy Chief Ministers Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar, BJP state chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule, Congress state chief Nana Patole, NCP(SP) state chief Jayant Patil, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray, MNS candidate Amit Thackeray, former Union Minister Milind Deora, and former Minister Amit Deshmukh.

Ajit Pawar, Deputy Chief Minister and NCP President, urged voters to exercise their right to vote based on their conscience, free from any pressure. “Cast your vote as per your conscience,” he said.

RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat was among the early voters in Nagpur, casting his vote shortly after polling opened.

To ensure the election process runs smoothly and securely, over two lakh police and security personnel have been deployed, including members from Maharashtra Police, Home Guard Force, Civil Defense Force, Central Armed Police Force, State Armed Police Force, and State Reserve Police Force. These personnel have been instructed to remain alert and maintain a peaceful environment.

Dr. Kiran Kulkarni, Maharashtra’s Additional Chief Electoral Officer, confirmed that sufficient Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) are available for the polls. For the 1,00,186 polling stations, 2,21,600 Ballot Units, 1,21,886 Control Units, and 1,32,094 Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) machines are ready. A total of 5,166 Ballot Units, 5,166 Control Units, and 5,165 VVPATs were used for training and awareness programs.

In response to voter apathy, especially in urban areas like Mumbai, Thane, and Pune, the state election machinery launched various campaigns to boost voter turnout. Additionally, 1,181 polling stations were set up in high-rise buildings and cooperative housing societies, while 210 polling stations were established in slum areas. In total, 241 sub-polling stations have been created to increase accessibility.

Dr. Kulkarni also noted that the election authorities have identified sensitive polling stations, categorized by expenditure and security concerns. However, he emphasized that there are no vulnerable polling stations regarding security. Special attention has been given to expenditure-related concerns.

Nearly 8,500 complaints have been registered on the C Vigil app, with most already addressed. The election authorities have made significant strides in curbing illegal activities, including the seizure of cash, liquor, and other freebies, amounting to Rs 673 crore. This represents a five-fold increase compared to the 2019 Assembly elections.

In terms of law enforcement, 532 FIRs have been filed during the code of conduct period, with 210 related to violations of the model code of conduct and 63 linked to social media issues. The remaining 259 cases pertain to other matters.

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