Polling in Maharashtra’s municipal corporation elections saw a steady but modest participation on Thursday, with voter turnout reaching 29.22 per cent across all 29 civic bodies by 1.30 pm, as per data released by the Maharashtra State Election Commission.
Voting began at 7.30 am and will continue until 5.30 pm, while counting of votes is scheduled for Friday, January 16. The day started on a slow note, particularly in Mumbai, where only 7.12 per cent of voters had exercised their franchise by 9.30 am.
By late morning, turnout across the state improved, touching 17.41 per cent by 11.30 am. In Mumbai, participation varied widely between wards, with Ward 18 reporting the highest turnout at 11.57 per cent, while Ward 162 lagged behind at just 1.68 per cent.
Several well-known political personalities cast their votes early in the day. Maharashtra Minister Ganesh Naik, accompanied by his family, voted at the Bonkode polling station. Former Rajya Sabha MP Subhash Chandra also voted and used the occasion to criticise affluent voters, accusing them of voicing grievances but staying away from the polling booths.
Leaders from the Shiv Sena (UBT), including Anand Dubey and Anil Parab, voted in Mumbai and flagged concerns about the voting process. Dubey pointed to technical glitches on the Election Commission’s website and discrepancies in digital ballot displays, while Parab alleged that the indelible ink used during voting could be easily removed, raising questions about the system’s integrity.
Former Maharashtra Chief Minister and Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray echoed these concerns, alleging missing names from voter lists, the use of outdated EVMs, and irregularities with election ink. He described these issues as “direct assaults on democracy” and linked them to wider apprehensions surrounding the “One Nation One Election” proposal.
Adding to the list of complaints, Avinash Gowariker, brother of filmmaker Ashutosh Gowariker, said the non-availability of voting slips led to confusion and delays at polling stations, despite overall arrangements being satisfactory.
The elections are being keenly observed in key urban centres such as Mumbai, Pune, Nagpur, Thane, Navi Mumbai, Nashik, and Pimpri-Chinchwad, following an intense campaign phase. Polling will conclude at 5.30 pm, and results are expected to be announced on Friday, January 16. Election authorities have appealed to citizens to turn out in larger numbers to ensure a fair and representative mandate.
