Mumbai

Voting in Maharashtra’s municipal corporation elections saw a moderate response on Thursday, with an overall turnout of 29.22 per cent recorded across all 29 municipal corporations till 1:30 pm, as per data released by the Maharashtra State Election Commission.

Polling began at 7:30 am and will continue until 5:30 pm, with counting of votes scheduled for Friday, January 16. Initial trends indicated a slow start, particularly in Mumbai, where only 7.12 per cent of voters had exercised their franchise by 9:30 am.

By 11:30 am, the cumulative voter turnout across the state rose to 17.41 per cent. Within Mumbai, Ward 18 reported the highest turnout at 11.57 per cent, while Ward 162 recorded the lowest participation at 1.68 per cent.

Several political leaders were among the early voters. Maharashtra Minister Ganesh Naik cast his vote along with his family at the Bonkode polling station. Former Rajya Sabha MP Subhash Chandra also voted and criticised affluent voters for expressing dissatisfaction while refraining from participating in the electoral process.

Leaders from the Shiv Sena (UBT), including Anand Dubey and Anil Parab, exercised their voting rights in Mumbai and flagged concerns over technical and procedural issues. Dubey alleged glitches on the Election Commission’s website and discrepancies in digital ballot displays, while Parab claimed the indelible ink used during polling could be wiped off, raising apprehensions of possible malpractice.

Shiv Sena (UBT) chief and former Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray echoed similar concerns, citing missing voter names, outdated electronic voting machines, and irregularities related to voting ink. He described these issues as a “direct assault on democracy” and linked them to wider debates surrounding the “One Nation, One Election” proposal.

Meanwhile, Avinash Gowariker, brother of filmmaker Ashutosh Gowariker, expressed displeasure over the absence of voting slips at polling booths, which he said caused confusion and delays despite otherwise orderly arrangements.

The elections are being keenly observed in key urban centres such as Mumbai, Pune, Nagpur, Thane, Navi Mumbai, Nashik, and Pimpri-Chinchwad following an intense campaign period.

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Polling will continue until 5:30 pm, with election authorities urging voters to turn out in large numbers to ensure a fair and representative mandate. Results will be announced on Friday, January 16.