Maharashtra urban voters pour cold water on EC efforts to improve turnout

But Jharkhand reports 68% turnout in 38 seats that voted in Phase II, 1% rise compared to 2019

The Election Commission (EC)’s efforts to improve voter turnout in Maharashtra’s urban areas, including scheduling the voting on a Wednesday, failed to enthuse electors in Mumbai, its suburbs, and Pune.

 

The voter turnout in Maharashtra recorded till 5pm, which is likely to get revised upwards as the EC said it would be able to release the final turnout data by 11.45pm, was 58.25 per cent. In 2019, the voter turnout was 61.1 per cent. 

 

In Jharkhand, 68 per cent voter turnout was recorded in 38 constituencies that voted in the Phase II of the Assembly polls on Wednesday. It surpassed the 67.04 per cent voting on these seats in 2019. The turnout in Phase I in 43 seats, polling for which was held on November 13, was also better than that in 2019.

 

 

However, electors in Mumbai and its suburbs remained apathetic to the democratic exercise. Across the Mumbai City district, comprising 10 Assembly seats, the average voter turnout, recorded till 5pm, was 49.07 per cent. The voter turnout in Colaba, for example, was 41.64 per cent, a trifle better than 40.1 per cent recorded five years back. In 2019, the voter turnout in Mumbai City was 48.22 per cent.

 

In the Mumbai Suburban district, comprising 26 seats, the voter turnout was a poor 51.76 per cent, fractionally better than 51.28 per cent recorded five years ago. In the Thane district, comprising 18 Assembly seats, the turnout was 49.76 per cent. In the Pune district, with 21 Assembly seats, the turnout was 54.09 per cent.

 

In a statement, the EC bemoaned the poor turnout in urban areas in Maharashtra. “Despite a range of measures by the poll panel for ease of voting, and motivational campaigns, urban voters in the state continued their dismal record of low participation in cities like Mumbai, Pune and Thane,” the EC said.

 

For the 2024 Assembly polls, the EC had put “special emphasis” on “combating urban apathy owing to the trend of low voter turnout” witnessed in urban centres in Maharashtra in previous state and parliamentary elections. It set up 1,185 polling stations in high-rise buildings and societies, provided facilities such as benches for electors waiting for their turn to vote, hired volunteers to assist voters and also provided wheelchairs. “Various awareness and mass mobilisation campaigns were organised ahead of the polls involving film celebrities, ECI state and national icons, to nudge urban and young voters,” the poll panel said. 

     

According to EC data, in the 2019 Maharashtra Assembly polls, the voter turnout in 62 of the state’s 64 urban seats was lower than the state’s average. In the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, six parliamentary constituencies in Maharashtra were among the worst 10 urban seats in the country that recorded lowest voter turnout. These were Kalyan, Pune, Thane, Mumbai North Central, Mumbai South and Mumbai South Central.

 

On October 15, when he announced the poll scheduled for Maharashtra and Jharkhand, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar said the EC has consciously scheduled the polling days in the two states in the middle of the week to ensure better turnout.

 

Voting also took place for the Nanded Lok Sabha seat and 15 Assembly bypolls, including nine in Uttar Pradesh. The EC suspended five police personnel and removed many others from poll duty for flouting guidelines and stopping electors from casting votes, officials said. The action by the poll authority came amid complaints by opposition parties, mainly the Samajwadi Party (SP), that people from a particular community were being prevented from casting their vote. SP President Akhilesh Yadav urged the EC to suspend all police officers who were checking voter cards and Aadhaar cards, based on video evidence. The cases pertained to Assembly bypolls in Kanpur, Muzaffarnagar, and Moradabad districts. Polling also took place for bypolls in Punjab, Kerala, and Uttarakhand.   

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