BMC Elections 2017: Live updates of voter turnout in Mumbai, Thane & other civic bodies

Voting for Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and nine other civic bodies in Maharashtra, which have virtually turned into a battle of prestige for Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis-led BJP and Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray, began at 7.30 am today.

Apart from the ten civic bodies, the second phase of polling for 11 Zilla Parishads (ZPs) and 118 panchayat samitis is also being conducted today.

Dubbed as a “mini Assembly election”, over 1.95 crore voters across the state are entitled to exercise their franchise to choose representatives for ten city corporations, while over 1.80 crore people can cast their votes in the Zila Parishad and panchayat samiti polls.

“Collectively, 3.77 crore voters are eligible to decide the fate of 17,331 candidates in rural and urban areas, including Mumbai,” State Election Commissioner JS Saharia told reporters in Mumbai, adding that the election machinery is fully geared up to ensure free and fair voting.

Stakes are high for both Fadnavis and Thackeray, who have led their respective parties from the front and were involved in a high decibel and no holds barred campaign. The parties are contesting separately for the first time in over two decades.

Congress, National Conference Party (NCP) and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena are also in the fray.

For the 1,268 seats across the ten municipal corporations, 9,208 candidates are contesting, whereas for 11 Zila Parishads, total 2,956 candidates will try their luck for 654 seats, Saharia said.

For the 1,288 seats across 118 panchayat samitis, total 5,167 candidates are contesting.

“As many as 43,160 polling booths have been set up. There will be 2.76 lakh election staff and equal number of police personnel on the duty,” Mr Saharia said.

In Mumbai, the country’s financial capital, total 2,275 candidates are contesting for the 227 seats. 92 lakh people are eligible to cast the vote in the megapolis, he said, adding that there will be 7,304 polling stations.

In municipal corporations excluding Mumbai, there are multi-member wards, where a voter will have to cast his vote for each of the category in the panel. Each panel has more than two wards.

The big poll focus is on Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), retaining control of which is vital for Shiv Sena as the city has remained its prime political space ever since the party’s formation in 1966. Shiv Sena has been in power in BMC for over two decades.

BJP, which had been a junior partner of Sena before it gained the upper hand through the 2014 Lok Sabha and Assembly polls, declined to accept the number of seats offered by the Sena.

It has set its eyes on gaining power in BMC, one of the world’s largest city bodies, boasting of an annual budget of over Rs. 37,000 crore.

Voter Turnout:

Voter turnout as of 9:30 am

Mumbai: 8.07%
Thane: 10%
Ulhasnagar: 5.79%
Nashik: 7.15%
Pune: 10%
Pimpri Chinchwad: 7%
Solapur: 9.5%
Amravati: 7%
Akola: 9%
Nagpur: 9%

Mumbai breakup

Malad: 8.55%
Borivali: 9.91%
Goregaon: 8.68%
Bhandup: 7.88%
Ghatkopar: 4.60%
Worli: 8.02%
Bandra E: 8.43%

Voter turnout as of 11:30 am

Mumbai: 16.4%
Thane: 19.11%
Ulhasnagar: Awaited
Nashik: Awaited
Pune: Awaited
Pimpri Chinchwad: 20.73%
Solapur: 24%
Amravati: Awaited
Akola: 15%
Nagpur: Awaited

Voter turnout as of 1:30 pm

Mumbai: 32.1%
Thane: 35.1%
Ulhasnagar: Awaited
Nashik: 30.63%
Pune: Awaited
Pimpri Chinchwad: Awaited
Solapur: 32%
Amravati: Awaited
Akola: 31.5%
Nagpur: Awaited

Voter turnout as of 3:30 pm

Mumbai: 41.32%
Thane: 45.05%
Ulhasnagar: 24.83%
Nashik: 43.33%
Pune: 43%
Pimpri Chinchwad: 43.8%
Solapur: Awaited
Amravati: 34.37%
Akola: 46.3%
Nagpur: 40%

Voter turnout as of 5:30 pm (process concluded)

Mumbai: 52.17%
Thane: 53.11%
Ulhasnagar: 46.83%
Nashik: 52.63%
Pune: 49.52%
Pimpri Chinchwad: 51.86%
Solapur: 44%
Amravati: 51.62%
Akola: 52.39%
Nagpur: 49.95%.

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Note: Final voter turnout, which may differ slightly than the aforementioned numbers, will be declared by SEC by end of day. Updated voter turnout and ward-wise split.

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