BMC election 2017: Mumbai records 55% voting, highest in 25 years

While several parties are in the fray, real fight is between Shiv Sena and BJP, who've parted ways

Mumbai recorded a 55 per cent turnout in polling for the 227 member BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Tuesday, the highest in the past 25 years. There are in all 2,275 candidates in the fray. The BMC polls are being dubbed a 'mini assembly' election and are being seen as a referendum on Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. The counting is slated for February 23.

Shiv Sena, BJP, Congress, Nationalist Congress Party, Samajwadi Party, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena and All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) are the key parties contesting the BMC elections.

However, the contest is really a fight between Shiv Sena and BJP, who after ruling the BMC for over two decades, parted ways after Sena president Uddhav Thackeray on January 26 announced his party's decision to go solo. Stakes are high for both Fadnavis and Thackeray, both of whom engaged in shrill poll pitches. BMC is India's richest civic body with an annual budget of Rs 37,000 crore and deposits in excess of Rs 40,000 crore.

Fadnavis, who led the BJP's campaign, sought votes on the transparency plank while Thackeray claimed it was the Sena that transformed Mumbai and was the only party to come to the rescue of Mumbaikars during calamities and disasters.

Polling for nine other municipal corporations, 11 zilla parishads and 118 panchayat samitis also took place today. Average polling for 10 municipal corporations including Mumbai was 56.3 per cent and for 11 zilla parishads and 118 panchayat samitis it was 69.43 per cent.

Fadnavis thanked the people of Mumbai this evening for coming out to vote. "Thank you #Mumbai for the record voting percentage & people from all Municipal Corporations & ZP for participating in festival of democracy!" he tweeted.

Earlier, during the day Bollywood actor Varun Dhawan left the polling booth without casting his vote as his name was missing from the voters' list. Shekhar Sinha, who works with a financial firm, got into an argument with the staff at the booth in Pali Hill, Bandra after he found that his name was missing from the voters' list. Sinha was pacified after the police intervened, but had to leave the polling station without exercising his franchise.

Haresh Verma, a college going student in Mankhurd, north East Mumbai, and a first-time voter, also had to come away disappointed for the same reason.

The three, who were among as many as 1.1 million Mumbaikars whose names were missing in the voters' list, squarely blamed the authorities saying that their names were omitted despite their having completed the verification in the revised list.

Mumbai BJP unit chief Ashish Shelar, after casting his vote, said, "The release of list of voters got delayed and there was also a change in polling booths. All this may have an impact on elections."

NCP president Sharad Pawar was seen at the polling both along with his grand daughter Revati and son-in-law Sadanand Sule. Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray and MNS chief Raj Thackeray voted along with their respective families, while BJP MP Poonam Mahajan and party spokesperson Shaina NC, Sena leader and former Chief Minister Manohar Joshi were among the few who came early to cast their votes.

"Let's see if work wins or money," said Raj Thackeray about the BMC election. Former union minister Milind Deora said, "Mumbai deserves better after 20 years of Shiv Sena-BJP misrule. Remember Rs 4,000 crore spent annually on roads, with no relief from potholes."

Actors Anushka Sharma, Rekha, Shreyas Talpade, Prem Chopra, Shraddha Kapoor, Manyata Dutt, filmmakers Zoya Akhtar, Gulzar, Subhash Ghai and Kunal Kapoor were among the film celebrities voters. Cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar, his wife Anjali and former cricketer Sandeep Patil also exercise their franchise.

"Instead of complaining, come here and vote and bring in the change," said Tendulkar. Bollywood actress Anuksha Sharma tweeted, "Started my morning by casting my vote. It is our duty towards our country and its progress. Please go out and vote."

Actress Tina Ambani said "We want good work for Mumbai."

"Demonetisation has nothing to do with these polls and we need to move on," said Deepak Parekh, Chairman HDFC, after casting his vote.

Meanwhile, the otherwise buzzing trading and commercial areas such as Kalbadevi, Mumbadevi, Opera House, Mohamad Ali Road, Worli, Upper Worli wore a deserted look as most of the establishments had put down their shutters.