52 per cent voting reported in BMC polls: Slight rise in Maharashtra turnout

Mumbai: With total 52 per cent of total 91,80,491 electorate exercising their right to vote in the civic elections today, the political fortunes of 2,275 candidates contesting on 227 wards of India's wealthiest Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), were sealed in the electronic voting machines which will be opened on Thursday. The Election Commission announced that an estimated 52.17 per cent of total 91,80,491 voters, comprising 41,49,753 females and 361 transgenders, exercised their franchise in 227 wards of BMC.

For the first time since 1992 election, the turnout crossed 50 per cent-mark to an estimated 52.17 per cent, as compared to 44.75 per cent voting reported in 2012 elections, showing an increase of eight per cent. The polling percentage in other nine Municipal Corporations, 11 Zilla Parishads and 118 Panchayat Samitis also marginally increased this time, as compared to the previous polls. The polling process was conducted in a peaceful and fair manner, barring a few petty incidents, the EC added. More than 11 lakh voters found their names missing from the electoral list. The administration had deployed 42,797 personnel at 7,304 polling stations in 1,582 areas across Mumbai and its suburbs.

The city police had deployed 35,000 police personnel for the election and on the counting day on February 23. Apart from police personnel, each of the hyper-sensitive polling booth was equipped with webcast cameras over and above close circuit TV cameras. Along with BMC, polls were also held in nine other municipal corporations across the state, apart from 11 Zilla Parishads and 118 Panchayat Samitis. The ten municipal corporations which went to the polls include Mumbai, Thane, Ulhasnagar, Nagpur, Nashik, Pune, Pimpri-Chinchwad, Amravati, Akola and Solapur. Total 72,093 ballot units and 48,062 controls had been made available since the voting was done through EVMs. In all, 9,58,604 officials and employees had been appointed for the local bodies elections in the state. (UNI)