Maharashtra Polls 2019: Voting Ends, 63% Voter Turnout Till 6 pm
The counting of votes and final results will be declared on 24 October.
In the Assembly elections held on Monday, 21 October, Maharashtra has seen a voter turnout of 63 percent till 6 pm.
Six exit polls have predicted a clear majority for the BJP-Shiv Sena combine.
A total of 3,237 candidates are in the fray for the 288-member Assembly in Maharashtra.
The counting of votes and the declaration of the final result will take place on 24 October.
- The tenure of the current Assembly, which was elected in 2014, will end on 9 November
- Uddhav Thackeray’s son, Aaditya, will make his poll debut, making him the first candidate from the Thackeray family to contest elections
- Mumbai Congress Chief Sanjay Nirupam alleged close associates of interim party President Sonia Gandhi to be ‘biased’
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)
15 Mumbai Congress Office-Bearers Suspended for 'Anti-Party' Activities
Mumbai Congress President Eknath Gaikwad suspended 15 office-bearers for “anti- party” activities on Thursday during the campaign for the Assembly polls in Maharashtra.
A statement from the Mumbai Regional Congress Committee (MRCC) said the decision to suspend the 15 office-bearers till further notice was taken on the instructions of Avinash Pande, the election in charge for Mumbai.
EC Issues Notice to BJP Mumbai Chief for 'Provocative Speech' During Rally
The Election Commission has issued a notice to BJP Mumbai Chief Mangal Prabhat Lodha for delivering a ‘provocative speech’ during an election rally in Mumbai on Thursday, 17 October, and further asked Lodha to reply and clarify his statement.
The BJP City Chief allegedly delivered a communally charged speech in the Mumbadevi Assembly constituency on Wednesday, during which he called the Muslim-dominated area a factory which had supplied firearms during the 1992-93 riots and bomb blasts.
Pankaja Munde Faints During Rally
Maharashtra Women and Child Welfare Minister Pankaja Munde fainted on the dais while addressing a campaign rally at Parli in Beed district on Saturday, 19 October.
Munde is pitted against her estranged cousin and NCP leader Dhananjay Munde from Parli constituency in the October 21 state assembly elections.
Attending her fifth rally in the town on the last day of campaigning, she collapsed while speaking. BJP workers and her sister and Beed MP Pritam Munde, who was present, rushed to her help.
BJP spokesperson Keshav Upadhaye said Munde's hectic campaigning schedule could have taken a toll on her health. She was taken to a local hospital and was recovering, said Shirish Boralkar, another party spokesperson.
EC Seizes Rs 4 Crore Cash in Worli
Election Commission has seized Rs 4 crore unaccounted cash in Worli assembly constituency area.
Rs 142 Crores Seized in Maharsahtra Since Imposition of MCC
Rs 142 crores and 975 illegal weapons have been seized since the imposition of Model Code of Conduct in the state, Dilip Shinde, Additional Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Maharashtra said.
Maharshtra ATS Questions 2 People Over Photos of Modi's Chopper
The anti-terrorism squad of Maharashtra have questioned two people over clicking of photographs of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's helicopter at the Nagpur airport premises, an official said, according to PTI.
Pictures of the prime minister's helicopter were found on a mobile phone of a person in Mumbai.
According to information, Modi had gone to Sakoli town in Maharashtra's Bhandara district in a helicopter from a helipad at the Nagpur airport premises last Sunday. Modi was going to Sakoli to address a rally.
A senior police officer confirmed the incident and said an inquiry was going on.
RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat Casts Vote
RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat on Monday cast his vote for the Nagpur Central constituency. Bhagwat went to a polling booth in Mahal area of the city around 7 am and exercised his franchise. "We emphasise on 100 per cent voting. Vote on issues, and not looking at the person or the environment," he urged, speaking to reporters.
PM Modi Urges Youngsters to "Vote in Large Numbers"
PM Narendra Modi took to Twitter on Monday morning as voting began in Maharashtra and Haryana, urging voters in the two states to “vote in large numbers”.
NCP Leader Ajit Pawar Casts Vote
Senior Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader and candidate from Baramati, Ajit Pawar cast his vote on Monday.
Assembly Elections: Cabinet Minister Ashish Shelar Casts Vote
Maharashtra cabinet minister and BJP candidate from Bandra West, Ashish Shelar cast his vote on Monday in the Maharashtra Assembly polls.
Speaking to The Quint, Shelar expressed his confidence that BJP would win the elections.
Maharashtra Elections: Ashok Chavan Casts Vote
Former chief minister Ashok Chavan was among the early ones to cast his vote for the Maharashtra Assembly polls on Monday. Chavan and his family members cast their votes at the Ambedkar Nagar Municipal school in Nanded district, PTI reported. Chavan is the Congress' candidate from Bhokar in Nanded.
BJP-Shiv Sena Alliance Will Win Around 225 Seats: Piyush Goyal
Union Minister Piyush Goyal, who cast his vote in the Malabar Hill constituency on Monday. Goyal said that the BJP-Shiv Sena alIiance would win around 225 seats.
“I am confident that the BJP-Shiv Sena alliance will win around 225 seats. The Opposition has lost all credibility and is nowhere in the contest. People are with Modi ji and Fadnavis ji,” Goyal said.
Maharashtra Elections: Nitin Gadkari Casts Vote
Union Minister Nitin Gadkari and wife Kanchan cast their votes in Nagpur. Speaking to reporters after casting his vote, he urged voters to come out and exercise their franchise.
"The BJP-Sena will have a record-breaking victory and Fadnavis will be the chief minister again," he also told reporters.
Maharashtra Elections: NCP Leader Supriya Sule Casts Vote
Senior NCP leader Supriya Sule cast her vote in Baramati on Monday. Her cousin and NCP leader Ajit Pawar is contesting against BJP's Gopichand Padalkar from the constituency.
Assembly Elections: Sushil Kumar Shinde Casts Vote
Former Maharashtra CM Sushil Kumar Shinde cast his vote on Monday in the Solapur constituency, along with his family.
Milind Borikar Casts His Vote
Milind N Borikar, IAS officer and Collector of Mumbai Suburban district, along with his family, cast his vote in the Maharashtra Assembly elections on Monday morning.
Maharashtra Elections: NCP Leader Praful Patel Casts Vote
Senior NCP leader Praful Patel and his wife Varsha cast their votes at a polling booth in Gondia Assembly constituency on Monday morning. Gopal Agarwal from BJP and Amar Varade from Congress are contesting from this constituency.
Assembly Elections: Ravi Kishan, Padmini Kolhapure Cast Votes in Mumbai
Actor and BJP MP from Gorakhpur (UP) Ravi Kishan and actress Padmini Kolhapure cast their votes at polling booths in Mumbai's Goregaon and Andheri (West) constituency, respectively.
Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis Urges People to Vote
“Voting is our Right, Voting is our Duty, And voting is an integral part of democracy. DO VOTE!" Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis tweeted on Monday morning.
Maharashtra Elections: Aaditya Thackeray Urges People to Vote
Uddhav Thackeray’s son, Aaditya, who is making his poll debut, making him the first candidate from the Thackeray family to contest elections, tweeted on Monday, urging everyone to come out and vote.
Assembly Elections: Kiran Rao Casts Vote
Film producer, screenwriter and director Kiran Rao cat her vote in Mumbai on Monday.
5% Polling Till 9 am in 10 Constituencies of Mumbai District
Mumbai city district’s ten Assembly constituencies has recorded five percent polling till 9 am.
Aamir Khan Casts Vote
Actor Aamir Khan cast his vote in Mumbai on Monday morning. "What I thought are important issues, I kept that in mind and voted. I urge everyone to come out and vote in large numbers. Every citizen of Maharashtra should come out to cast vote and take part in this process," Khan told reporters.
Maharashtra Elections: 5.69% Voter Turnout Recorded Till 10 am
According to the app by the Election Commission, Maharashtra has seen a voter turnout of 5.69 percent till 10 am in the Assembly elections.
Key Concern Right Now is Growth: Adi Godrej
Adi Godrej, who cast his vote on Monday morning, said that the key concern right now is growth.
Assembly Polls: Rain May Play Spoiler in Some Parts of Maharashtra
It was a wet and cloudy Monday morning in parts of Maharashtra where voting for the Assembly polls is underway.
Some areas in south Konkan Maharashtra, western and south central parts, and Latur and Osmanabad districts in Marathwada region witnessed drizzle early morning, an official from the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.
As voting began at 7 am, Mumbai and its suburbs saw overcast sky after drizzle for last two days.
The IMD has predicted thunderstorm with lightning and gusty winds at isolated places in Raigad, Ratnagiri, Sindhudurg, Pune, Kolhapur, Satara, Sangli, Solapur, Beed and Osmanabad districts on Monday.
Congress Leader Milind Deora Casts Vote
Congress leader Milind Deora cast his vote in the Maharashtra Assembly elections on Monday morning.
Madhuri Dixit, Ritesh Deshmukh, Genelia D'Souza Cast Votes
Actor Madhuri Dixit cast her vote at a polling booth in Bandra (West) on Monday morning.
Meanwhile, Ritesh Deshmukh, his wife Genelia D'Souza and their family cast their votes at a polling booth in Latur. His brothers Amit and Dhiraj are contesting polls as Congress candidates from Latur city and Latur rural constituencies, respectively.
Lara Dutta and Mahesh Bhupathi were also spotted. Actor Govinda also cast his vote.
Swabhimani Paksha Candidate's Vehicle Torched
Three motocycle-borne masked men fired at a candidate of pro-farmer outfit Swabhimani Paksha on Monday when he was going in a car, and also beat him up after pulling him out of the vehicle in Maharashtra's Amravati district, police said.
Devendra Bhuyar, the nominee of Raju Shetti's Swabhimani Paksha from Morshi seat, was going to Warud in a car along with some workers of the outfit when the three masked persons fired at him around 5.30 am, Gedam said.
The attackers later set the car ablaze, Shendurjana Ghat police station's inspector Maruti Gedam said. The incident took place on Malkhed road in Amravati.
The attackers poured petrol on Bhuyar's vehicle and set it afire before running away, the official said.
Maharashtra Elections: CM Fadnavis Casts Vote
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, wife Amruta and mother Sarita cast their votes on Monday, at a polling booth in Nagpur. He appealed to citizens to turn up in large numbers and take part in the "festival of democracy".
"We elect a government which fulfills our dreams and aspirations. It is natural for us to have expectations from the government. But, those who vote have the first right to have such expectations," he told reporters after casting vote.
CM Fadnavis is contesting from the Nagpur South West seat.
He also tweeted after casting his vote, saying “Did my duty.”
Maharashtra Elections: 6.58% Voter Turnout Recorded Till 11 am
According to the Election Commission's app, Maharashtra has seen a voter turnout of 6.58 percent till 11 am in the Assembly elections.
MNS Chief Raj Thackeray Casts Vote at Shivaji Park
MNS chief Raj Thackeray and his wife Sharmila cast their votes at Bal Mohan Vidyamandir school at Mumbai’s Shivaji Park.
Uddhav, Aaditya Thackeray Cast Vote in Maharashtra Polls
Shiv Sena Chief Uddhav Thackeray, wife Rashmi and sons Aaditya and Tejas, cast their votes in Bandra (East) on Monday. Aaditya is contesting the polls from Worli constituency.
Aaditya also took to Twitter to share a photo of his family after they cast their votes and urged people to vote.
Maharashtra Elections: Prakash Javadekar Casts Vote in Pune
Union Minister Prakash Javadekar cast his vote in Pune on Monday.
Maharashtra Elections: 16.32% Voter Turnout Recorded Till 12 pm
According to the Election Commission's app, Maharashtra has seen a voter turnout of 16.32 percent till 12 pm in the Assembly elections.
Assembly Elections: Sachin Tendulkar Casts Vote in Mumbai
Sachin Tendulkar, wife Anjali and their son Arjun cast their votes at a polling booth in Bandra (West) on Monday.
Vanchit Bahujan Aaghadi Candidate Allegedly Assaulted
Vanchit Bahujan Aaghadi candidate from Degloor, Nanded district, Ramchandra Bharande, was allegedly attacked around 10:30 am on Monday while travelling in his car.
Sharad Pawar Casts Vote, Urges People to Exercise Franchise
NCP Chief Sharad Pawar cast his vote in Mumbai on Monday and said, “I request everyone to come out and vote in large numbers. This is a celebration of democracy.”
Maharashtra Elections: 17.79% Voter Turnout Recorded Till 1 pm
According to the Election Commission's app, Maharashtra has seen a voter turnout of 17.79 percent till 1 pm in the Assembly elections.
Smriti Irani Casts Vote in Mumbai
Union Minister Smriti Irani cast her vote at a polling booth in Mumbai.
Bollywood Celebrities Cast Votes in Mumbai
Maharashtra Elections: BJP MP Hema Malini Casts Vote
Actor and BJP MP Hema Malini cast her vote at a polling booth on Monday in Mumbai's Andheri (West).
EVM Glitches at Polling Booths, Congress Complains to EC
Faulty EVMs delayed polling at some booths in Maharashtra's Ratnagiri and Bhandara districts on Monday, an official said. Polling was also halted for sometime at a booth in Worli area of Mumbai due to a technical error, he said.
The state Congress unit sent 187 complaints to the Election Commission regarding malfunctioning of the EVMs.
In Ratnagiri's Dhamangaon village, polling was stopped at a booth from 8.30 am to 10 am due to a technical fault in the EVM.
An EVM glitch also halted the polling process at a booth in Kalamban Gavhanwadi village in Ratnagiri since 9.42 am. Voting resumed there around 12.30 pm.
In Bhandara district, polling was disrupted from 9.15 am to 9.35 am due to a similar issue.
Maharashtra Elections: 30.62% Voter Turnout Recorded Till 2 pm
According to the Election Commission's app, Maharashtra has seen a voter turnout of 30.62 percent till 2 pm in the Assembly elections.
Assembly Elections: Shabana Azmi, Javed Akhtar, Deepika Padukone Cast Votes
Shabana Azmi and Javed Akhtar cast their votes at a polling booth in Mumbai on Monday.
Deepika Padukone also cast her vote at a polling booth in Bandra (West), Mumbai.
Maharashtra Polls: Minor Scuffles Reported in Beed, Jalna
As voting for the Assembly polls progressed across Maharashtra on Monday, reports of scuffles came in from Beed and Jalna districts, officials said late afternoon.
In Beed's Balepeer area, over 380 kilometres from Mumbai, supporters of Shiv Sena candidate Jaydatt Kshirsagar and NCP candidate Sandeep Kshirsagar had an altercation over allegations of vehicles being used to ferry voters to polling booths, an official said.
The area was tense for a while before police, as well as the two candidates, defused the situation, he added.
Maharashtra Elections: 31.59% Voter Turnout Recorded Till 3 pm
According to the Election Commission's app, Maharashtra has seen a voter turnout of 31.59 percent till 3 pm in the Assembly elections.
Maharashtra Polls: 34.68% Voter Turnout Recorded in Mumbai City Till 3 pm
According to the Election Commission's app, Mumbai City has seen a voter turnout of 34.68 percent while Mumbai suburban has seen 36.54 percent turnout till 3 pm in the Assembly elections.
Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan Cast Their Vote in Mumbai
Jaya Bachchan, Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan leave after casting their vote at a polling booth in Juhu, Mumbai.
Maharashtra Elections: 43.84% Voter Turnout Recorded Till 4 pm
BJP MP From Gurdaspur Sunny Deol Casts His Vote in Mumbai
BJP MP from Gurdaspur Sunny Deol casts his vote at a polling booth in Juhu, Mumbai.
Shah Rukh Khan and His Wife Gauri Cast Their Votes in Mumbai
Actor Shah Rukh Khan and his wife Gauri cast their votes at polling booth in Mumbai's Bandra West.
Salman Khan Casts His Vote in Mumbai
Actor Salman Khan casts his vote at a polling booth in Bandra (West), Mumbai.
Maharashtra Elections: 44.78% Voter Turnout Recorded Till 5 pm
According to the Election Commission's app, Maharashtra has seen a voter turnout of 44.78 percent till 5 pm in the Assembly elections.
BSP Leader Sunil Khambe Arrested for Throwing Ink at EVM Machine in Thane
BSP leader Sunil Khambe was arrested for throwing ink at the EVM machine in Maharashtra's Thane, according to ANI.
Former President Pratibha Patil Casts Her Vote in Pune
Former President Pratibha Patil casts her vote at NCL School in Pune.
Polling Concludes, Voter Turnout at 63% Till 6 pm
Maharashtra Assembly elections saw a voter turnout of around 63 percent, almost matching the 63.38 percent polling recorded in the last state elections in 2014, according to PTI.
Rural areas of the state fared better, with voters there showing more enthusiasm than their urban counterparts.
6 Exit Polls Predict Clear Majority for BJP-Shiv Sena in Maharashtra
Six exit polls for the Maharashtra Assembly elections – voting for which concluded on Monday, 21 October – have predicted a clear majority for the BJP-Shiv Sena combine.
The India Today-Axis My India exit poll has predicted a comfortable win for the BJP-Shiv Sena combine in the Maharashtra Assembly elections, with BJP+ predicted to get 166-194 seats, Congress+ 72-90 and Others 22-34, in the 288-member Assembly.
Meanwhile, the CNN News 18-Ipsos exit poll has predicted an even bigger victory for the BJP-Shiv Sena coalition in the state, with 141 seats given to BJP, 102 to Shiv Sena, 17 to Congress and 22 to NCP. One seat will go to the Asaduddin Owaisi-led AIMIM, the exit poll said.
The ABP-CVoter exit poll (as of 5 pm) has predicted that the NDA will go past the 200-seat mark (BJP 140 and Shiv Sena 70), while the UPA will be restricted to 63 (Congress 31 and NCP 32). Others are predicted to get 15 seats in the state.
Maharashtra Polls: AIMIM MP Imtiaz Jaleel Roughed Up Near Polling Booth
AIMIM MP Imtiaz Jaleel received minor injuries in a clash between workers of the NCP and his party in Aurangabad Central assembly constituency in Maharashtra on Monday, 21 October, the police said, according to PTI.
The incident took place near a polling booth in Katkat Gate locality, a local police official said.
There was a scuffle between workers of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen and the Nationalist Congress Party, and when Jaleel intervened, he was attacked by unidentified men, said a local police official.
BJP Basks in Exit Poll Results in Maharashtra; Opposition Dismissive
With most of the exit polls forecasting a two-thirds majority for the BJP-led NDA in Maharashtra, the ruling party on Monday said the figures were in line with its expectations, while the Opposition trashed the numbers, saying true picture will be "way better".
The Maharashtra Assembly elections on Monday saw a voter turnout of around 63 per cent.
Results of exit polls, conducted immediately after voters leave polling stations, were out minutes after voting ended at 6 pm.
The India Today-Axis exit poll projected 166-194 seats for the BJP-Shiv Sena combine in the 288-member assembly and 72-90 for the