Elections LIVE | 58% turnout in Maharashtra, 67% in Jharkhand till 5 pm
In Maharashtra, the ruling BJP-led Mahayuti alliance is vying to retain power and the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) combine is hoping for a strong comeback
Maharashtra recorded 58.22 per cent polling, while Jharkhand, in the second phase of polls, registered 67.59 per cent voter turnout till 5 pm on Wednesday (November 20) as the voting began in the two states at 7 in the morning.
Maharashtra, the richest state in India, is voting in a single phase for all 288 members of the legislative assembly. Jharkhand is witnessing polling for the remaining 38 seats, as voting for 43 constituencies took place in the first phase on November 13, recording a 64.86 per cent voter turnout.
Along with the legislative Assembly elections in these two states, bypolls for 15 Assembly seats across Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Kerala, and Uttarakhand are also being conducted on Wednesday.
Also read: Maharashtra, Jharkhand brace for high-stakes elections: It's a neck and neck contest in both states
Mahayuti vs MVA in Maharashtra
In Maharashtra, the ruling BJP-led Mahayuti alliance is vying to retain power and the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) combine is hoping for a strong comeback.
The election will determine whether the Mahayuti can reverse the massive losses it suffered during the recent Lok Sabha elections. In the Lok Sabha polls, the MVA won 30 of the 48 seats in the state and the Mahayuti just 17.
It will also be virtually a do-or-die battle for the rival factions of the Shiv Sena and the NCP as these are the first Assembly elections after two regional forces split up. The poll outcome will decided the political future of top leaders like Sharad Pawar, Uddhav Thackeray, Ajit Pawar and Eknath Shinde.
These elections will also have an impact on the national politics as a triumph for the Mahayuti will give a big boost to the NDA government at the Centre, while a victory for the MVA will bring back the INDIA bloc in the contention after the drubbing in Haryana Assembly elections.
Also read: Maharashtra polls | Race for CM's post hots up as both MVA, Mahayuti keep people guessing
BJP aiming to wrest Jharkhand
In Jharkhand, the JMM-Congress-RJD coalition is seeking to retain power in Jharkhand, while the BJP-headed NDA will try to wrest it.
This phase will decide the electoral fate of Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren, his wife Kalpana Soren (both JMM), and Leader of Opposition Amar Kumar Bauri (BJP) besides more than 500 other candidates who are contesting in 38 of the total 81 assembly seats.
Polling began at 7 am in 14,218 polling stations and will continue till 5 pm barring 31 booths where it will end at 4 pm. The first phase of the elections was held on November 13.
Besides CM Soren and his wife, prominent among the candidates in this round include state BJP president and ex-CM Babulal Marandi, Assembly Speaker Ravindra Nath Mahto (JMM) and BJP ally AJSU Party chief Sudesh Mahto.
(With agency inputs)
Live Updates
- 20 Nov 2024 7:56 PM IST
Palakkad bypoll: Drop in turnout compared to 2021 Kerala polls
The Palakkad assembly constituency, which saw a high-octane campaign that gave rise to scores of controversies, saw a voter turnout of 70.01 per cent till 6.49 pm on Wednesday after voting in the bypoll concluded in over 86 per cent of the polling booths. This was a decline from the 73.83 per cent turnout recorded in the assembly polls held in the state in 2021. - 20 Nov 2024 6:55 PM IST
Jharkhand polls final phase: 68% turnout till 5 pm
About 68 per cent voter turnout was recorded till 5 pm on Wednesday in 38 assembly constituencies in Jharkhand where voting in the second and final phase ended, officials said.
The highest turnout of 76.16 per cent was reported from Jamtara district, followed by 75.88 per cent from Pakur, 72.46 per cent from Deoghar and 72.01 per cent from Ranchi.
Ramgarh registered a turnout of 71.98 per cent, Dumka 71.74 per cent, Godda 67.24 per cent, Sahebganj 65.63 per cent, Giridih 65.89 per cent, Hazaribag 64.41 per cent and Dhanbad 63.39 per cent.
The lowest turnout was recorded in Bokaro district at 60.97 per cent till 5 pm.
- 20 Nov 2024 6:53 PM IST
Maharashtra polls: 58.22% turnout till 5 pm; Gadchiroli tops list
Maharashtra recorded a voter turnout of 58.22 per cent till 5 pm on Wednesday in the elections to the 288-member state legislative assembly, with Gadchiroli district logging more than 69 per cent voting, poll officials said.
In the bypoll to the Nanded Lok Sabha constituency held simultaneously, the voter turnout till 5 pm was 53.78 per cent, they said.
Gadchiroli topped the list of districts with 69.63 per cent turnout till 5 pm. Aheri assembly seat in the district saw 68.43 per cent voting, Gadchiroli constituency 69.22 per cent and Armori 71.26 per cent, they said.
Mumbai city district and Mumbai suburban district recorded 49.07 per cent and 51.76 per cent voting respectively.
The Colaba assembly segment in south Mumbai registered 41.64 per cent polling, Mahim 55.23 per cent, Worli 47.50 per cent, Shivadi 51.70 percent and Malabar Hill 50.08 per cent.
In Mumbai suburban, Bhandup recorded 60.18 per cent voting, Dahisar 50.98 percent and Bandra East 49.51 per cent.
In Chief Minister Eknath Shinde's Kopri-Pachpakhadi constituency in Thane, where he is pitted against Shiv Sena (UBT)'s Kedar Dighe, the voter turnout was 55.77 per cent. The overall percentage of Thane district was 49.76 per cent, the officials said.
The Nagpur South-West constituency, from where Deputy Chief Minister and senior BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis is in the fray, the voter turnout was 51.54 per cent till 5 pm. The polling figure in Nagpur district was 56.06 per cent.
The Baramati seat in Pune district, from where Deputy Chief Minister and NCP chief Ajit Pawar is fighting against his nephew Yugendra Pawar, recorded 62.31 per cent voter turnout, they added. This figure for Pune district was 54.09 per cent, they said.
Nashik district recorded 60.11 per cent turnout till 5 pm.
- 20 Nov 2024 6:51 PM IST
Assembly bypolls in 4 states: Over 50% polling till 5 pm
A voter turnout of over 50 per cent was recorded in the bypolls to 15 Assembly seats spread across Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Kerala and Uttarakhand on Wednesday amid stray incidents of violence and complaints of irregularities against police officials and misuse of government machinery.
Poll officials said nearly 50 per cent voters exercised their franchise by 5 pm in Uttar Pradesh.
The Election Commission’s update at 5 pm showed the voter turnout at: Ghaziabad (33.30 per cent), Katehari (56.69 per cent), Khair (46.43 per cent), Kundarki (57.32 per cent), Karhal (53.92 per cent), Majhawan (50.41 per cent), Meerapur (57.02 per cent), Phulpur (43.43 per cent), Sisamau (49.03 per cent).
In neighbouring Uttarakhand, a voter turnout of 56.78 per cent was recorded in the Kedarnath assembly bypoll till 5 pm.
In Punjab, a voter turnout of 59.67 per cent was recorded till 5 pm in the bypolls to four assembly segments The Gidderbaha seat recorded 78.10 per cent polling, Dera Baba Nanak 59.80 per cent, Barnala 52.70 per cent and Chabbewal 48.01 per cent.
In Kerala, polling in the Palakkad assembly by-election saw a turnout of 54.64 per cent.
