Maharashtra, Jharkhand Election 2024 Live: Voting ends, exit poll numbers to come in from 6:30 pm

Maharashtra recorded a 58.22 per cent voter turnout as of 5 p.m., with polling for all 288 assembly constituencies concluding peacefully in a single phase. Despite extensive measures by the Election Commission to boost voter participation, urban centers such as Mumbai, Pune, and Thane continued to report low turnout, the ECI said in a statement.

National Icon Sachin Tendulkar cast his vote and encouraged others to participate, while elderly voters were greeted with certificates and plants at select stations.

Voting also proceeded smoothly in Left Wing Extremism-affected areas like Gadchiroli.

The director appreciated the increase in efficiency of polling over the years, and also applauded increased voter turnout. “This is our country, this [voting] is our right, and we should definitely fulfill this,” he said, encouraging people to come out at vote.

Ali was speaking from a polling booth in Andheri West in Mumbai.

VIDEO | Maharashtra Elections 2024: Reliance Retail Ventures Limited head Isha Ambani arrives at a polling booth to cast her vote.#MaharashtraElections2024 #MaharashtraAssemblyElections2024

(Full video available on PTI Videos - https://t.co/n147TvrpG7) pic.twitter.com/vICmu7K9k1

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) November 20, 2024

Six polling booths was vandalised and at least one worker of the Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP) was assaulted on Wednesday in Beed. One of the booths was in Parli, from where minister Dhananjay Munde of the Ajit Pawar-led NCP is seeking re-election, PTI quoted an official as saying.

According to Hindustan Times, election officials in Beed district thwarted booth capturing attempts at four places in Parli.

“What is the reason for voting? Everyone should know what the reason for voting is. If you can’t do anything else for the city, country and state, then at least this is one can do and should do,” the actor said after casting his vote in Maharashtra.

VIDEO | Maharashtra Elections 2024: Here's what actor Rajat Kapoor said after casting his vote at a polling booth in Mumbai.

"What is the reason for voting? Everyone should know what the reason for voting is. If you can't do anything else for the city, country and state, then at… pic.twitter.com/B40s7UG25h

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) November 20, 2024

VIDEO | Jharkhand Assembly Elections 2024: Additional Chief Election Officer Neha Arora briefs media on second and final phase of voting in the state, says 61% voter turnout recorded till 3 pm. #JharkhandAssemblyElection2024 pic.twitter.com/MTRBUGfZBx

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) November 20, 2024

Nationalist Congress Party (SP) leader Jitendra Ahwad has said that the Maha Vikas Aghadi will win more than 160 seats out of the 288 assembly constituencies in Maharashtra.

Ahwad has cast his vote at a polling station in Thane.

Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren said that the next two hours will decide if the state will remain united or be divided.

“These dictators are constantly saying – it will be divided. Santhal will be divided – and Saraikela will be divided. Vote in the next 2 hours to keep Jharkhand “United”. Jharkhand was one and will remain one,” Soren said on X.

अगले 2 घंटे का मतदान तय करेगा की झारखंड एक रहेगा - या बंटेगा

जैसा ये तानाशाह लगातार कह रहे हैं - बंटेगा - बंटेगा।

संथाल बंटेगा - सरायकेला बंटेगा।

अगले 2 घंटे झारखंड को “एक” रखने के लिए वोट करें।

झारखंड एक था - एक रहेगा।

लड़ेंगे, जीतेंगे। pic.twitter.com/S0o2PNjiZu

— Hemant Soren (@HemantSorenJMM) November 20, 2024

Here’s the district-wise voter turnout in Jharkhand:

• Bokaro: 42.52%
• Deoghar: 49.83%
• Dhanbad:43.16%
• Dumka: 50.28%
• Giridih: 48.01%
• Godda: 40.27% (Lowest)
• Hazaribagh: 48.62%
• Jamtara: 52.21%
• Pakur: 53.83% (Highest)
• Ramgarh: 51.26%
• Ranchi: 52.10%
• Sahebganj: 47.51%

Madhupur assembly constituency’s presiding officer was replaced after BJP MP Nishikant Dubey filed a complaint with the Election Commission alleging that the official was “favouring a ruling party candidate.”

“I filed a complaint with the Election Commission against the presiding officer at booth number 111 in Madhupur, Deoghar district, for favouring Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) candidate and Minister Hafizul Hassan. The commission took my complaint seriously and arrested the officer,” Dubey told reporters in Deoghar.

An official statement from the Deoghar administration clarified that the presiding officer at booth number 111 had been replaced.

“During monitoring in the webcasting room, the presiding officer was found too close to the voting compartment, which violates Election Commission rules and demonstrates gross negligence in performing duties,” the statement read.

The voter turnout data of Mumbai City till 1 pm was not as expected even after the Election Commission took extra measures to ensure higher voter participation.

Mumbai City recorded a turnout of 27.73 per cent while the rest of Maharashtra registered a 32.18 per cent turnout till 1 pm.

NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar on Wednesday said the assembly elections will decide Maharashtra’s future and appealed to people in the state to exercise their franchise.

Talking to reporters in Baramati town of Pune district after casting his vote, Pawar said all the electors should exercise their right to vote.

“This election is extremely important. It will decide the future of Maharashtra. I appeal to all citizens to come out and vote,” he said.

“It is not good that the voter percentage in Maharashtra is less than smaller states in the north east,” the former Union minister said.

Mumbai civic chief Bhushan Gagrani on Wednesday appealed to voters in the metropolis to cast their ballots, assuring that every polling booth in the city has good facilities.

Polling in all 288 assembly seats in Maharashtra, including Mumbai, began at 7 am and will end at 6 pm.

After casting his vote at KC College near Churchgate station in south Mumbai, the senior IAS official appealed to Mumbaikars to come out in large numbers and participate in the democratic process.

“The administration has provided good facilities at each polling station. Every Mumbaikar must go to the polling stations in their respective constituencies and vote,” said the commissioner of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).

Amid the ‘cash for vote’ allegations around BJP leader Vinod Tawde, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Priyanka Chaturvedi said on Wednesday that it was an act of sheer desperation by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) so that they could buy the elections out.

Speaking to ANI, Chaturvedi said “The sheer desperation of the BJP has been made obvious since yesterday morning where Vinod Tawade, a senior leader of BJP has been caught distributing money to the people of Maharashtra in the hope of buying the elections out. They know they are headed toward a disastrous election outcome.”

Notably, BJP leader Vinod Tawde has been accused of distributing money. Congress leader Supriya Shrinate has claimed that a bag containing Rs 5 crores in cash was found with Tawde at a hotel in Virar East.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, after casting his vote on Wednesday, described the elections as a “festival of democracy” and urged everyone to participate actively, while also highlighting the difference in governance during the rule of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) and the Maha Yuti.

“Today is the festival of democracy, and everyone should participate and vote. This will strengthen Maharashtra and its democracy. People have not forgotten what happened in 2019. The mandate was for Maha Yuti, but Maha Yuti could not form the government. People have seen their (Maha Vikas Aghadi) 2.5 years of rule and our 2.5 years of development. Mahayuti will form the government with a huge majority,” Shinde said.

Earlier in the day, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde cast his vote at a polling booth in Thane for the ongoing Maharashtra Assembly Elections 2024.

Union Minister Nitin Gadkari on Wednesday cast his vote for the Maharashtra elections and said that the state was a role model for the country considering the high foreign investments it received.

Speaking to ANI, Gadkari said “Maharashtra is a progressive and prosperous state of the country. The state receives highest foreign investment and agricultural exports are also increasing here. It is a good role model state for the country. A good government and good leadership can change the future of Maharashtra.”

Further, he appealed to the people to vote in large numbers and strengthen democracy.

31.37% voter turnout recorded till 11 am in the second and final phase of #JharkhandElection2024

18.14% recorded till 11 am in #MaharashtraElection2024 pic.twitter.com/5xVsp4RUEz

— ANI (@ANI) November 20, 2024

Palakkad (Kerala) 24.95%

Gidderbaha (Punjab) 32.85%

Dera Baba Nanak (Punjab) 25.50%

Barnala (Punjab) 16.30%

Chabbewal (Punjab) 12.71%

Meerapur (Uttar Pradesh) 26.18%

Majhawan (Uttar Pradesh) 20.41%

Khair (Uttar Pradesh) 19.18%

Phulpur (Uttar Pradesh) 17.68%

Kundarki (Uttar Pradesh) 28.54%

Karhal (Uttar Pradesh) 20.71%

Katehari (Uttar Pradesh) 24.28%

Ghaziabad (Uttar Pradesh) 12.87%

Sishamau (Uttar Pradesh) 15.91%

Kedarnath (Uttarakhand) 17.69%

Today is the celebration of democracy, says Eknath Shinde, after casting his vote.

He also added that people should come out and vote for the bright future of Maharashtra people and the development of the state.

He also stated that it is a responsibility to vote and that democracy will be strengthened.

Mahayuti will form the government with absolute majority, said Shinde adding that nobody has forgotten what happened in 2019… Mandate was given to Mahayuti but everybody knows what happened.

He also added that welfare schemes started by Mahayuti will work in favour of Mahayuti.

Reacting to the ‘cash for vote’ allegation against BJP leader Vinod Tawde, NCP candidate for the Parli constituency, Dhananjay Munde on Wednesday said that the allegations are false and asserted that nothing like this had happened.

“This is a lie. Nothing was like that; they had a meeting… The Bharatiya Janata Party has clearly stated that nothing like this had happened,” Munde told ANI.

Earlier, the Bahujan Vikas Aghadi (BVA) accused BJP leader Vinod Tawde of distributing money at a hotel in Nalasopara ahead of the Maharashtra assembly polls, triggering a political storm. Congress demanded a Supreme Court-monitored probe into the allegations.

In response, Vinod Tawde denied the accusations, calling for an impartial investigation.

Union Minister Raksha Khadse casts her vote for the Maharashtra elections, at a polling booth in Jalgaon.

#WATCH | Maharashtra: Union Minister Raksha Khadse casts her vote for the #MaharashtraElections2024, at a polling booth in Jalgaon. pic.twitter.com/5RtlP3mbaD

— ANI (@ANI) November 20, 2024

Union Minister and BJP’s Jharkhand election-incharge, Shivraj Singh Chouhan says, “The Jharkhand Assembly Polls 2024 have become the elections to save Jharkhand. ‘Roti, Beti, Maati’ in Jharkhand are in trouble.”

He urged everyone to vote for a prosperous, developed, safe and infiltrators-free Jharkhand.

#WATCH | Ranchi: Union Minister and BJP's Jharkhand election-incharge, Shivraj Singh Chouhan says, "The #JharkhandAssemblyPolls2024 have become the elections to save Jharkhand. 'Roti, Beti, Maati' in Jharkhand are in trouble. JMM-Congress Govt has cheated the youth in the name of… pic.twitter.com/GEaShxr8cp

— ANI (@ANI) November 20, 2024

With the Maharashtra assembly polls underway on Wednesday, the young voters and first time electors in Nagpur appreciated the infrastructure development here, but raised concern over lack of job avenues and inflation.

Some of them also raised the issue of women’s security.

A number of youth flocked the polling booths in Nagpur, located in the state’s Vidarbha region, from early morning to exercise their democratic right.

First-time voter Manswi Admane, an engineering student, carried a placard outside a polling booth with the message highlighting the need for women’s safety.

Ishita Tiwari, another first-time voter and a working professional, was quite disturbed when her name did not figure in the electoral rolls before the Lok Sabha elections held in May this year.

But this time before the assembly polls, her joy knew no bounds when she received her voting card.

Tiwari, who left for work after casting vote, said it was a good experience to exercise her franchise for the first time and she was very happy about it.

Manzari Pinjarkar, an MBA student who voted in Nagpur, appreciated the present government’s welfare schemes, but raised concern over layoffs in jobs and inflation.

Pinjarkar said the government should work to address these problems.

She also said everyone should vote as it their duty and responsibility.

Vedant, a management course student who was one of the early voters, said he took time out of his exam preparation and came to exercise his democratic right.

The student said that while voting, he kept in mind the development work done in the city as well as the image of candidates in his constituency.

Under the leadership of PM Modi, Maharashtra has developed a lot, says Nitin Gadkari.

Wherever you go in Maharashtra, you will see development, he added.

Piyush Goyal said that every Mumbaikar should come out and cast their votes.

He added that they will take Maharashtra forward and that he hoped that voting percentages crosses 60% in Maharashtra.

NCP-SCP candidate from Baramati Assembly seat, Yugendra Pawar says, “Pawar sahab (Sharad Pawar) is with us, so we are not nervous at all. I am contesting elections for the first time, but I have been in politics for many years, so this is nothing new for me. Now the new generation should come forward…”

On allegations against Supriya Sule, he says, “I have not seen the audio clip, but yesterday video clip of some BJP leaders went viral, you should also look at that.”