Mumbai: An estimated 64 per cent of Maharashtra's 8.35 crore voters on Wednesday cast their ballots in a bitterly-fought election that pollsters said will throw up a hung Assembly with BJP emerging as the single-largest party but falling short of a majority in the 288-member House.
"Approximately 64 per cent polling has been recorded by 6 PM. The exact details are being worked out," sources in the office of the state's Chief Electoral officer said.
The poll, considered the first major test of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's popularity after Lok Sabha election, passed off peacefully. Prominent among those whose electoral fate will be decided when counting takes place on Sunday include former Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan, his deputy and senior NCP leader Ajit Pawar, state BJP president Devendra Fadnavis, Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Assembly Eknath Khadse, his counterpart in Legislative Council Vinod Tawde (both BJP), Shiv Sena leader in the outgoing Assembly Subhash Desai and his MNS counterpart Bala Nandgaonkar.
Polling started on a brisk note, slowed down around noon but again picked up and about 55 per cent of the electorate had cast their votes by 5 PM, officials said. Technical problems in electronic voting machines (EVMs) were reported from some polling booths in Nagpur city and Wardha district in Vidarbha, and Sewree in Mumbai. Voters in a Nashik booth also complained that the electoral rolls were not in order.
A policeman on election duty was killed after being struck by lightning in Avdeghat polling station of Savner constituency in Vidarbha, where polling in some parts was marred by rains. The election, first in over two decades without any major pre-poll alliances in place after BJP snapped its 25-year-old ties with Shiv Sena and NCP broke off its partnership with Congress after a 15-year shot at power in the state, will also test the individual mettle of the parties.
Raj Thackeray's MNS, after a drubbing in Lok Sabha poll, is seeking to emerge as X factor and the king maker in the contest where multiplicity of parties is expected to drastically reduce victory margins. More VT SK GJS 10151946
Among the early voters in Maharashtra were former Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan, who cast his vote in Karad in western Maharashtra, from where he is a candidate, former Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar in Baramati, former Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde in Solapur, Leader of Opposition in Council Vinod Tawde in Mumbai and NCP MP Supriya Sule and her mother Pratibha Pawar.
NCP chief Sharad Pawar cast his vote in Mumbai, while Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray was joined by his wife and son Aditya . State BJP president Devendra Fadnavis, a front runner for chief ministerial post in case BJP comes to power, also cast his vote. Among Bollywood personalities who went to polling booths in Mumbai early on Wednesday were Rekha, Jaya Bachchan, Abhishek Bachchan, Amol Palekar, BJP MP Hema Malini and her daughter Esha, Anupam Kher, Salman Khan and Sonali Bendre. Cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar also cast his vote.
There are 4119 candidates in the fray in 288 seats, including 276 women. 1699 independent candidates are also trying their luck. BJP has fielded 280 candidates Shiv Sena 282, Congress 287, NCP 278 and MNS 219. BSP has put up nominees in 260 seats, CPI 34 and CPM 19.
Notwithstanding the adverse projections, former Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan, who led Congress' campaign, exuded confidence that the party will be voted back to power for a fourth straight term. "There was anti-incumbency in 2004 and 2009 also but still the people chose us," he said. With NCP predicted to lose heavily, its senior leader and former Union Minister Praful Patel said,"Our performance will be good. We will play a significant role in formation of the next government." Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray too expressed confidence that his party will form the next government.
"People have seen Balasaheb Thackeray. They will vote for Sena. I have toured the state. There is not just a wave, there is a huge wave in our favour," he said. Even as pollsters predicted a hung Assembly, throwing up the prospect of BJP having to look for allies to form a government, state BJP chief Devendra Fadnavis said," I am absolutely confident that BJP will get an absolute majority."
According to exit poll predictions, though BJP is expected to emerge as the single-largest party, it will fall short of a majority and will have to look for post-poll allies to have a shot at power for a second time after it ruled the state with Shiv Sena from 1995 to 1999. With the exception of Sena-BJP's rule and a 580-day stint of Sharad Pawar-led Progressive Democratic Front government between July 1978 and February 1980, Congress has never been out of power in Maharashtra since its creation in 1960.
An estimated 61.6 per cent polling was reported from Pune district, according to officials. NCP MP Supriya Sule was among the early voters who voted in Baramati. In Indapur taluka in the district, a 105-year-old voter, Balasaheb Nimbalkar cast his vote. In Chandrapur district of eastern Maharashtra, around 67 per cent voting was registered in all six Assembly segments of Rajura, Chandrapur, Ballarpur, Brahmapuri, Chimur and Warora. In neighbouring Gondia district, around 65.27 per cent voter turnout was recorded, officials said.
According to them, the highest turnout was in Arjuni Morgaon assembly constituency with 73.01 per cent people exercising their franchise, followed by Tirora-65.43 per cent, Gondia-62.55 per cent and Amgaon-60 per cent. In Yavatmal district, average voting was recorded at 56.79 per cent. In Nashik district in northern part of the state, an average of 56.21 per cent voting was recorded in all 15 constituencies. NCP stalwart and former PWD Minister Chhagan Bhujbal cast his vote in Yevla constituency.
The overall voting was peaceful in the district barring some instances wherein EVMs and Voter-Verified Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) system developed minor glitches which were promptly rectified, officials said.
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