High Voter Turnout Marked by Significant Figures and Allegations in Maharashtra's Final Phase Elections

In the final phase of Maharashtra's general elections, a 27.78% voter turnout was recorded by 1 PM across 13 Lok Sabha constituencies. Prominent personalities including politicians, actors, and industrialists cast their votes. The day was marked by allegations of corrupt practices and complaints about polling booth facilities.

A voter turnout of 27.78 per cent was recorded till 1 pm on Monday in 13 Lok Sabha constituencies in Maharashtra as voting was underway for the fifth and final phase of general elections in the state, as per poll authorities.

Among the 13 seats, Bhiwandi recorded 27.34 per cent polling, Dhule 28.73 per cent, Dindori 33.25 per cent, Kalyan 22.52 per cent, Mumbai North 26.78 per cent, Mumbai North Central 28.05 per cent, Mumbai North East 28.82 per cent, Mumbai North West 28.41 per cent, Mumbai South 24.46 per cent, Mumbai South Central 27.21 per cent, Nashik 28.51 per cent, Palghar 31.06 per cent and Thane 26.05 per cent.

Chief Minister Eknath Shinde voted along with his family members at a booth in Thane, which is his political turf.

Shinde told reporters that the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) is the stronghold of the Shiv Sena-BJP where the ruling alliance will win all the 10 seats - six in Mumbai, three in Thane district and the Palghar seat.

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader and former CM Uddhav Thackeray and his wife Rashmi Thackeray exercised their franchise at a polling booth in Bandra area of Mumbai.

Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray and his wife Sharmila Thackeray voted at a booth in Mumbai's Dadar area.

Shiv Sena MP Milind Deora exercised his franchise at a polling booth in south Mumbai.

Several prominent persons, including Union minister Piyush Goyal, industrialists Ratan Tata and Anil Ambani, actor Akshay Kumar, cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar and cricketers Ajinkya Rahane and Suryakumar Yadav, exercised their franchise in the metropolis.

Tata Sons Chairman N Chandrasekaran, Reserve Bank of India Governor Shaktikanta Das, former Uttar Pradesh governor Ram Naik, actor Janhvi Kapoor, actor-filmmaker Farhan Akhtar and Marathi theatre actor Prashant Damle also cast their votes here.

Film personalities Anupam Kher, Anil Kapoor, Ashok Saraf, Shabana Azmi and Javed Akhtar also exercised their right to vote in Mumbai.

Voters queued up in large numbers at some polling booths before 7 am with some saying they wanted to avoid the heat later in the day.

In Thane city, there was malfunctioning of EVMs at a couple of booths, but the problem was rectified promptly, district poll officials said.

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray claimed there were lot of complaints from electors about facilities outside the polling booths.

''A lot of complaints from voters about the facilities outside the booths @ECISVEEP Atleast having the voter lines in shade/ fans could help. They don't want much, just basics to stay cool. Please look into it,'' the former state minister said in a post on X.

BJP leader Kirit Somaiya alleged that Shiv Sena (UBT) leaders Sanjay Raut and Sunil Raut were found involved in ''corrupt practices'' outside their polling booth at Bhandup in Mumbai.

The former MP also claimed that two activists of the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) were arrested for ''illegal and corrupt practices of using a fake EVM''.

However, MLA Sunil Raut, who is the brother of Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Raut, dismissed the allegations saying a dummy electronic voting machine (EVM) was kept outside the 100-metre radius of the polling booth for educational purpose.

Still, the police removed it under ''political pressure'', he claimed.