Maharashtra Assembly Elections Witness Close Contest Amidst Vandalism and Clashes

Maharashtra held assembly elections with a 60% turnout across 288 seats. The Naxal-hit Gadchiroli district led with 69.63% voting, while Mumbai City had the lowest at 49%. The ruling Mahayuti alliance faced off against the MVA amid incidents of sporadic violence and increased candidate numbers.

Maharashtra witnessed an estimated 60 percent turnout in elections across 288 assembly seats on Wednesday. Naxal-hit Gadchiroli district topped the charts with 69.63 percent voter participation, while Mumbai City lagged at the bottom with 49 percent, according to poll officials.

The voting process was marred by sporadic violence involving political heavyweights, Bollywood celebrities, and business leaders lining up with the general populace to cast their votes. These participation figures are provisional, with 61.74 percent recorded during the previous 2019 assembly election.

This election is crucial for the ruling Mahayuti alliance and the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi. Violence included a booth vandalism incident in Parli. The electoral battle involved 4,136 candidates, a 28 percent increase from the 2019 elections, including 2,086 independents.

(With inputs from agencies.)