Maharashtra assembly polls see 6.61% turnout in early voting, glitches reported

Mumbai: Maharashtra recorded a 6.61 per cent voter turnout across its 288 constituencies by 9 am, with several polling stations reporting technical difficulties that disrupted the voting process. In Kannad, Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar, voters boycotted the election over unresolved local issues.
Union minister Nitin Gadkari and deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis cast their votes in their respective Nagpur constituencies. Other prominent figures who exercised their franchise included deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar, Mumbai BJP chief Ashish Shelar, Rajya Sabha MP and Worli candidate Milind Deora, and Rajya Sabha MP Ashok Chavan.
Cricket legend and Bharat Ratna recipient Sachin Tendulkar voted with his family at a Bandra polling station. Bollywood personalities including Akshay Kumar and Rahul Bose, along with senior bureaucrats such as former chief electoral officer S Chockalingam, former chief secretary Nitin Kareer, and Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation chief Bhushan Gagarani, cast their votes across Mumbai’s polling stations.
The Maoist-affected district of Gadchiroli recorded the highest turnout at 12.33 per cent in the first two hours. Most polling stations in Gadchiroli close at 3 pm rather than 6 pm, contributing to the elevated early turnout. Osmanabad Marathwada reported the lowest turnout at 4.85 per cent, while Mumbai city and suburban districts registered 6.25 per cent and 7.88 per cent respectively.
After voting, Tendulkar urged citizens to participate: “I appeal to every voter to vote for democracy. The facilities at the polling booths are good, and voters need to come out and vote.”
Gadkari commented on the state government’s performance: “The state government has worked well on all fronts including irrigation, infrastructure, and people should vote for development.”
NCP founder Sharad Pawar, who voted in Baramati, said: “I am not an astrologer to predict the results, but Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi is getting majority and it will form the government.”
Technical malfunctions were reported at several polling stations, including one in Akola, temporarily halting the election process. In Ramnagar village, Kannad, over 1,400 voters boycotted the election due to pending local issues.
Maharashtra’s electoral roll has grown to 97.02 million voters, up from 89.83 million in 2019, when the state recorded a 61.44 per cent turnout.