Maharashtra Election 2019 Latest Update: A 45-year-old teacher posted on election duty in Gadchiroli district died in a hospital after fainting while walking towards the voting booth in morning. Meanwhile, it was reported that a BSP leader threw ink at an EVM inside a polling booth in Thane.
Maharashtra recorded 46.11 percent polling percentage till 5 pm, Kolhapur recording the highest turnout of 56.25 percent. Union ministers Dharmendra Pradhan and Prakash Javadekar expressed confidence that BJP will win in Maharashtra, with the latter saying that the saffron alliance will break Congress' 1972 Assembly polls 222-victory record.
Voting for Maharashtra Assembly elections will close at 6 pm today. However, voters already in the queue will be allowed to cast their votes. The exit polls, which are an attempt to understand leanings of the electorate, will begin airing on various television channels after 6.30 pm, as according to Election Commission rules, no survey or exit poll data can be revealed till the last vote is cast because it has the potential to influence voter behaviour.
The state Congress unit also sent 187 complaints to the Election Commission of malfunctioning of EVMs. Faulty EVMs delayed polling at some booths in Maharashtra's Ratnagiri and Bhandara districts on Monday, an official said. Polling was also halted for sometime at a booth in Worli area of Mumbai due to a technical error, he said.
The state of Maharashtra has recorded 27.88 percent turnout by 1 pm. The least amount of voting percentage was recorded in Ahmadpur.
Three motocycle-borne masked men fired at a candidate of pro-farmer outfit Swabhimani Paksha on Monday when he was going in a car, and also beat him up after pulling him out of the vehicle in Maharashtra's Amravati district, police said. The attackers later set the car ablaze.
Some of the voters at Cheetah Camp (Anushakti Nagar assembly) area have complained of their names missing from the voters list. There have also been complaints of delay in voting process due to EVM snags.
With the overall voter turnout in Maharashtra at 6.78 percent till 11 am, the districts of Jalna, Yavatmal, and Nandurbar recorded the highest voter turnouts individually, with 13.13 percent, 12.34 percent, and 11.59 percent respectively.
Sources said that the mood leading up to the Maharashtra elections has been lukewarm. Many see it as a foregone conclusion in favour of the BJP-Shiv Sena alliance, despite disagreements over the seat-sharing arrangements ahead of the Assembly election.
The challenge for the Opposition is to convince voters to vote based on locally relevant issues. The NCP has put up a fight, but the Congress’ presence is seen in pockets, or only where they have a prominent leader.As polling got underway in all 288 constituencies in Maharashtra on Monday, the voter turnout recorded was 6.78 percent till 11 am, reports said.
The mood leading up to the Maharashtra elections has been lukewarm. Many see it as a foregone conclusion in favour of the BJP-Shiv Sena alliance, despite disagreements over the seat-sharing arrangements ahead of the Assembly election.
The challenge for the Opposition is to convince voters to vote based on locally relevant issues. The NCP has put up a fight, but the Congress’ presence is seen in pockets, or only where they have a prominent leader.
NCP patriarch Sharad Pawar, who has fought a pitched battle against the Mahayuti alliance in Maharastra, cast his vote from Mumbai's Tardeo. His daughter and senior party leader, Supriya Sule exercised her franchise from family bastion Baramati.
Two members of the Munde family are locked in a direct battle. Pankaja Munde, late Gopinath Munde's daughter and the rural development minister in the current government is facing her cousin, Dhananjay who is the Leader of the Opposition. Dhananjay is contesting on an NCP ticket. Pankaja had defeated Dhananjay Munde in the 2014 assembly elections.
Union minister Piyush Goyal cast his vote from the Malabar Hill constituency. He said, "I am happy that today 2 states are going to polling. BJP under the leadership of Devendra Fadnavis in Maharashtra and Manohar Lal Khattar in Haryana - will win by large numbers." Heera Navaji Devasi of Congress and BJP candidate and sitting MLA Mangalprabhat Lodha will be locking horns for this seat.
In Mumbai city, more than 40,000 personnel will be deployed along with 22 companies of the Central Para-Military Forces, a Mumbai Police spokesperson said. Among the 1,536 polling centres in Mumbai district, 269 centers are declared as critical and vulnerable. "A strong police vigil will be maintain in those locations. There is not a single vulnerable or critical polling centre in suburbs of Mumbai," he said.
As part of preventive action, police have taken bonds from 3860 persons under section 107 of CrPc and 1279 persons under section 110. At least 164 persons have been externed from Mumbai while four persons have been booked under Maharashtra Prevention of Dangerous Activities (MPDA) Act, he said.
Devendra Fadnavis became the first chief minister of the state in nearly 50 years to complete a full five-year tenure, moreover, if the pundits are right, come next week he will also be the one to get a consecutive second term. The last time this happened in Maharashtra was when Vasantrao Naik was its chief minister.
Voting in single-phase Assembly elections in Maharashtra has begun. The state, which is also due to elect its Satara Lok Sabha MP, will see a pitched battle between Mahayuti (Shiv Sena and BJP alliance) and NCP and Congress combine.
Voting is scheduled to begin at 7 am at all polling booths, the Election Commission of India said. The term for the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly ends on 9 November.
In Maharashtra, the Congress and NCP have already figured a seat-sharing plan, the parties will fight about 123-125 seats each and leave 41 for smaller allies, said Congress' Prithviraj Chavan. Depending on consensus between the parties, the seats may be swapped, Chavan was quoted as saying.
Representational image. AP
According to the data provided by the Election Commission, in Maharashtra, there are 8,95,62,706 voters, of which 8,94,46,211 are general electors and 1,16,495 are service voters. Up from 90,403 in 2014, the number of polling booths where people can cast their vote in Maharashtra has gone up to 95,473, reflecting an increase of 5.61 percent.
This is the first state Assembly election since Narendra Modi led the BJP to power at the Centre for a second term in May. The Assembly elections are also the first since the government announced the abrogation of provisions of Article 370 granting special status to Jammu and Kashmir and bifurcation of the state into two Union Territories.
Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis said that the BJP will retain power and he will continue to hold the chief minister's post. He also confirmed that the BJP and Shiv Sena will be in alliance for the upcoming elections and added that the seat-sharing formula would be revealed soon.
"I am saying with no uncertainty that we will contest the Assembly polls along with Shiv Sena. The seat-sharing talks are still on, do not trust the reports," Fadnavis said while speaking at the "India Today Conclave 2019" being held in Mumbai.
Talks between the two parties have not reached a conclusion, as the BJP wants to fight a larger share of the 288 Assembly seats while the Sena wants it to stick to the earlier agreed formula that both will contest an equal number of constituencies.
Both parties could not agree to a seat-sharing deal even in the 2014 polls, leading to them fighting the elections separately. The BJP won 122 seats and the Sena 63 seats. They joined hands after the polls to form a government.
With inputs from agencies
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Updated Date: Oct 21, 2019 19:19:27 IST
Highlights
'Body language of voters' suggests BJP-Shiv Sena alliance will win, says Chandrakant Patil
Maharashtra BJP president and state minister Chandrakant Patil, who is contesting from Kothrud constituency, claimed that he will win by a margin of "1.60 lakh votes".
"Since the 2014 elections, people's faith in politics and politicians has increased, and the reason is the transparent government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi," he told reporters. He said that the "body language" of voters showed that the BJP-Shiv Sena alliance will win a huge victory, Patil said.
JP Nadda to meet BJP general secretaries to deliberate on Maharashtra, Haryana Assembly polls
Bharatiya Janata Party national working president JP Nadda will hold a meeting of the party's general secretaries on Tuesday at the party headquarters in Delhi, where the leaders will deliberate on the Maharashtra and Haryana Assembly polls.
According to party leaders, discussions will also be held regarding the BJP's function to mark the birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel on October 31.
BSP leader throws ink on EVM machine in Thane
A Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) leader Sunil Khambe threw ink on the EVM in a polling booth situated in Thane Head Post Office, police said.
PTI
Teacher on poll duty faints while walking to voting booth in Gadchiroli, dies during treatment
A 45-year-old teacher posted on election duty in Gadchiroli district died in a hospital after fainting while walking towards the voting booth in morning, an official told PTI.
Bapu Pandu Gavade, who was heading to the voting booth with a polling party from Dehari base camp, fainted mid-way in the morning near Pursalgondi village of Gadchiroli's Etapalli area, he said. "He used to get epileptic fits. He suffered head injuries after he fainted. He was taken to Etapalli hospital first and then to a bigger facility at Chandrapur. Gavade, however, died during treatment," the official said.
EC sets up creche facilities to allow women voters to exercise their franchise
Temporary creches for children have seen set up for the first time in some Assembly segments of Maharashtra. "The experiment was carried out for the first time during the Lok Sabha elections held earlier this year, and now the Election Commission (EC) has replicated the same concept in the Maharashtra polls," an ECI official said.
PTI
BJP-Shiv Sena alliance will break all records in Maharashtra, says Prakash Javadekar
Union Minister Prakash Javadekar told that the BJP-Shiv Sena alliance in Maharashtra will break all previous records by winning more than 222 seats. "Not just 220, we will cross 222 seats this time in Maharashtra. The Congress had won 222 seats once but we are going to break this record and form an even stronger government this time," he said.
"The people are coming out to vote in large numbers in both Maharashtra and Haryana. They are once again siding with the BJP, it is because of the work done by both the state governments under the guidance of Narendra Modi," Javadekar said.
the Congress had won in 222 seats in the 1972 Assembly elections in the state, the highest victory margin the state's history.
BJP is going to form the government in Maharashtra, says Dharmendra Pradhan
Speaking to reporters, union minister and BJP leader Dharmendra Pradhan expressed confidence that the BJP is going to form the government in both the states - Haryana and Maharashtra. "We are confident that people will continue to support Prime Minister Narendra Modi, his philosophy and policies," he said.
Close contest on cards in most seats in Raigad
Maharashtra’s Raigad district, considered a stronghold of Peasants and Workers Party (PWP), is likely to witness a close contest in six out of its seven Assembly constituencies. The district comprises seven assembly segments -- Panvel, Alibaug, Uran, Karjat, Pen, Mahad and Shrivardhan.
Polling to conclude at 6 pm, exit polls embargoed till 6.30 pm
Voting for Maharashtra Assembly elections will close at 6 pm today. However, voters already in the queue will be allowed to cast their votes. The exit polls, which are an attempt to understand leanings of the electorate, will begin airing on various tv channels after 6.30 pm, as according to Election Commission rules, no survey or exit poll data can be revealed till the last vote is cast because it has the potential to influence voter behaviour.
Maharashtra records 30.75% voter turnout till 2 pm
Maharashtra recorded 30.75 percent voter turnout till 2 pm. Armori recorded the highest voter percentage at 49.26 percent, while the poorest turnout data was from Dombivali in Navi Mumbai where only 17% showed up to vote
Voter turnout for the Satara Lok Sabha seat stood at 36.03% till 2 pm
The Satara bypoll was necessitated after sitting MP from the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), Udayanraje Bhosale, joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) after resigning from Lok Sabha. Udayanraje Bhosale, now contesting on a BJP ticket, is being challenged by NCP’s Shriniwas Patil.
EVM glitches at Maharashtra polling booths, Congress complains to EC
Tacit support to rebels, history of shadow boxing between BJP, Shiv Sena betrays fissures in Mahayuti alliance
Even though the ruling alliance of BJP-Shiv Sena is formidable on the ground, the internal one-upmanship between the two could cost seats in the Marathwada and Vidarbha regions. Both parties have remained silent on their rebel candidates — who filed nomination as Independents — in several constituencies even though the allies have officially agreed for the seat-sharing formula. It betrays how both BJP and Shiv Sena are trying pull each other down for different reasons. The allies have indulged in shadow boxing over the past five years. BJP wants to be the party at the top without any challenger. And the Shiv Sena does not want to be eaten up by its own ally.
In Bhandara, Narendra Bondekar is trying to hurt BJP with tacit support from Shiv Sena. In Yavatmal, Santosh Dhawle and Vishwas Nandekar, are trying to eat into BJP candidate's votes. In another Yavatmal constituency, Sanjay Deshmukh, with BJP's tacit support, could hurt Shiv Sena's Sanjay Rathod, also the minister of state for revenue. In Nanded, Dilip Kandkrute, in Nanded South could hurt Shiv Sena's Rajshri Patil. Shyam Sunder Shinde, rumoured to be supported by BJP in Nanded's Loha Kandhar constituency could hurt Mukteshwar Dhondge.
17.01% polling reported in Maharashtra, Karjat Jamkhed in Ahmednagar sees highest response at 41%
According to the election commission website, the overall voting percentage across Maharashtra till 12 pm is at 17.01 percent, mostly dragged down by urban seats which saw poor turnouts. The rural areas on the other hand, have seen an encouraging pattern. Karjat Jamkhed seat in Ahmednagar district has the highest response at 41 percent. Kaij in Beed saw the lowest turnout at just 7.1 percent
Opposition candidate shot at, thrashed in Amravati's Morshi seat
Three motocycle-borne masked men fired at a candidate of pro-farmer outfit Swabhimani Paksha on Monday when he was going in a car, and also beat him up after pulling him out of the vehicle in Maharashtra's Amravati district, police said. The attackers later set the car ablaze.
Unique drives to encourage voters
The Election Campaign has employed several unique measures to encourage a healthy voter turnout in Maharashtra Assembly elections, and so have the citizens and local citizens also pitched in. From polling officials giving out roses to voters who participated in the democratic exercise in Wardha, to a local bakery offering cake to people who turn up to vote in Mumbai's Lal Baugcha Raja, there are several campaigns being run.
According to a report by The Times of India, a housing society in Malabar Hill have planned get-togethers and tea parties. The report suggests that hoteliers are persuading guests to check out by October 20 evening so that they could cast their votes on October 21.
EC has also put up, pink booths, which have all-women staff to encourage female voters.
Complaints of missing names on voter lists crop up across Maharashtra
Some of the voters at Cheetah Camp (Anushakti Nagar assembly) area have complained of their names missing from the voters list, Hindustan Times reported. Minhajuddin Khan (62), Cheetah Camp resident, said, "I have been voting here since the past 20 years. This year, my name was missing from the list during the Lok Sabha elections as well. I had complained about this to the polling officer that time. However, they have not done anything about it."
Thackerays vote in Mumbai's Worli
Shiv Sena leader Aaditya Thackeray, who is the first member of the political clan to make a debut in electoral politics, voted along with his family in Mumbai's Worli, from where he is contesting.
Maharashtra records 6.78% voter turnout till 11 am
As polling got underway in all 288 constituencies in Maharashtra on Monday, the voter turnout recorded was 6.78 percent till 11 am, reports said.
Sharad Pawar casts vote in Mumbai
Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) supremo Sharad Pawar on Monday cast his vote in the Malabar Hill constituency in Mumbai, with his grand-daughter and son-in-law. The NCP is seeking to regain lost ground in western Maharashtra and is perceived to be engaged in a battle of prestige with the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the region.
Input by Ashwin Aghor/101Reporters
Devendra Fadnavis casts vote in Nagpur
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis cast his vote along with his family in the Nagpur Assembly constituency. Fadnavis, who is the first chief minister in the state to complete the full five-year tenure in 50 years, is seeking a second term.
Sharad Pawar casts vote in Mumbai's Tardeo, Supria Sule in Baramati
NCP patriarch Sharad Pawar, who has fought a pitched battle against the Mahayuti alliance in Maharastra, cast his vote from Mumbai's Tardeo. His daughter and senior party leader, Supriya Sule exercised her franchise from family bastion Baramati.
FIR against unidentified persons for 'editing' Dhananjay Munde's speech
EC sets up all-women polling booths to encourage voters
The election commission has set up several Sakhi booths, an all-women run polling station, to encourage women voters. Also called Pink booths, the entire staff will be of women, while special arrangements will be made at the model booth for the convenience of voters such as installing signboards, wheelchairs for the disabled, voter facilitation centres and beautification of booths.
The image is from a Sakhi booth in Aurangabad’s Phulambri Assembly constituency. Amar Suresh Deshmukh of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena, Dr Kalyan Vaijinathrao Kale of Congress, Bagde Haribhau Kisanrao of the Bharatiya Janata Party, Satyajit Yadavrao Salve of the Bahujan Samaj Party and Jagannath Kachruji Rithe of the Vanchit Bahujan Aaghadi are the main contenders here.
Image by Mahesh Joshi/101Reporters
Maharashtra education minister Ashish Shelar casts his vote
Ashish Shelar, the state education minister, voted at the St Stanislaus High School in Bandra for the Vandre West constituency. Ashish Babaji Shelar of the Bharatiya Janata Party and Asif Ahmed Zakaria of the Indian National Congress are the main candidates here.
Input by Ashwin Aghor/101Reporters
Aaditya Thackeray appeals to voters to cast their votes
Debutant Aaditya Thackeray appealed to voters on Twitter to vote in order to decide the future of Maharashtra on this "important day".
NCP Mumbai chief Nawab Malik votes
NCP spokesperson Nawab Malik voted at Anushakti Nagar in Mumbai. Malik (60) was recently appointed as Mumbai unit chief, in place of Sachin Ahir, who defected to Shiv Sena. Malik, a four-term legislator, was housing and labour minister in the NCP-Congress government in 2003.
Image by Ashwin Aghor/101Reporters
Shiv Sena leader tweets picture of Aaditya bowing before Bala Saheb Thackeray's portrait on election day
Shiv Sena leader Priyanka Chaturvadi tweeted a photograph of Aaditya Thackeray, who is the first in his family to ever contest an election, where he is seen seeking the blessings of Shiv Sena patriarch Bal Thackeray.
'We've been targeted since last 90 years,' Mohan Bhagwat on Congress' onslaught
RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on Monday said the Sangh has been targeted since last 90 years, but there is no need to worry as the society is one and will always remain so. Bhagwat also said he is "not a political person".
Bhagwat was responding to reporters on the recent flurry of attacks against RSS by Congress party.
After he cast his vote in Nagpur for the Maharashtra Assembly polls, some reporters asked him about the Congress targeting the RSS over the issue of demand for Bharat Ratna award for Hindutva ideologue VD Savarkar.
Supriya Sule casts vote in Baramati
Senior Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Supriya Sule cast her vote in Baramati. Her cousin and NCP leader Ajit Pawar is contesting against BJP's Gopichand Padalkar from the constituency.
"We all have come to vote in Baramati. We will surely form the government. It's a state election and we should vote for development only," Sule said after casting her vote.
BJP LS bypoll candidate Udayanraje Bhosale casts his vote
Recently defected former NCP leader Udayanraje Bhosale cast his vote in Satara. Also the last MP from the seat, he was mandated to seek reelection from the Satara Lok Sabha seat due to anti-defection polls.
Input by Ashwin Aghor/101Reporters
Ashok Chavan Ajit Pawar, Ashish Shelar among early Voters
Former Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan and the current BJP-led Maharashtra government's school education minister Ashish Shelar were among the early ones to cast their votes. NCP leader and former deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar voted at Baramati in Pune district.
Key battles to watch out for: Will Congress manage to snatch away Malabar Hill seat from BJP's five-time MLA Mangalprabhat Lodha
Since 1995 Assembly elections, BJP candidate and sitting MLA Mangalprabhat Lodha has been ruling over Malabar Hills constituency. In 2014 he defeated Shiv Sena candidate Arvind (Arun) Devji Dudhwadkar with a huge margin of votes. While Lodha received 97,818 votes his Shiv Sena opponent could manage only 29,132 votes. In 2009, 2004 and 1999 elections he defeated Congress candidates like Bafna Rajkumar Sumermal, Raj Shroff and BA Desai.
This year, Congress' Heera Navaji Devasi is pitted against Lodha, chief and founder of the Locha Group. As per the affidavit submitted by Lodha along with the nomination form, he and his wife have movable assets worth over Rs 252 crore and immovable assets of about Rs 189 crore.
Union minister Piyush Goyal casts his vote
Union minister Piyush Goyal cast his vote from the Malabar Hill constituency. He said, "I am happy that today 2 states are going to polling. BJP under the leadership of Devendra Fadnavis in Maharashtra and Manohar Lal Khattar in Haryana - will win by large numbers." Heera Navaji Devasi of Congress and BJP candidate and sitting MLA Mangalprabhat Lodha will be locking horns for this seat.
Key battles to watch out: Cousins Pankaja, Dhananjay Munde in direct face off in Parli constituency
Two members of the Munde family are locked in a direct battle. Pankaja Munde, late Gopinath Munde's daughter and the rural development minister in current government is facing her cousin, Dhananjay who is the Leader of the Opposition. Dhananjay is contesting on a NCP ticket.
The latter kicked up a storm just ahead of election by allegedly making obscene comments against his estranged cousin, leading to an FIR against him. Dhananjay, under flak, claimed the video clip, in which he was purportedly heard making the comments against Pankaja, was edited and fake. He said his remarks were "distorted" to project him as a "villain" by his rivals to win elections.
Pankaja, meanwhile, said she felt disgusted after her cousin's remarks. Pankaja's sister and BJP MP Pritam Munde said the Maharashtra minister was so upset by the onslaught on her character that she even considered quitting politics. Pankaja had defeated Dhananjay Munde in the 2014 assembly elections.
EVM snag reported from a polling booth in Goregaon
Recurrent technical snags in EVMs have become part and parcel of election coverage it seems. This year too, the first such report has already come in, minutes after polling was scheduled to start for the state. This comes as the issue of EVM credibility and VVPAT auditing is already on top of Opposition parties.
Mumbai turns into fortress as state elects fresh Assembly; 269 polling booths deemed critical
From CRPF, Home Guard to Naga women police force, EC deploys heavy security for Maharashtra polls
Over three lakh security personnel from local police as well as Central forces will be deployed in Maharashtra to ensure incident-free voting for assembly polls.
Minutes before Maharashtra, Haryana goes to poll, Congress' Digvijaya Singh raises EVM issue
"Here is how EVM-VVPAT can be manipulated due to a major technical glitch. EC is aware of lacuna but continues to be silent. If the CEC still insists on EVMs then I have a request. After pressing the button on ballot unit instead the Voter seeing the picture on the screen for 7 seconds the printer should give the Voter printed vote in his hand which he can physically put in a ballot box. Now the argument put forward by CEC would be that the counting would take a lot of time. As it stands today CEC picks up 5 booths randomly and checks the printed vote as per Supreme Court order," Madhya Pradesh Congress heavy-weight tweeted.
Meanwhile, NCP fights a prestige battle in Satara Lok Sabha by-election
On one hand, BJP is eyeing Satara as its gateway to western Maharashtra. On the other hand, the NCP is trying best to retain its stronghold in the sugar belt following large-scale defection after the general elections.
Maharashtra to elect new Assembly today; BJP-Shiv Sena seek second straight term
Polling will be held on Monday in all 288 Assembly constituencies of Maharashtra where 3,237 candidates, including 235 women, are in the fray. The voting will be held from 7 am to 6 pm.
The ruling BJP has fielded its nominees in 164 Assembly seats, including candidates of smaller allies contesting on its lotus symbol, while the Sena is contesting 124 seats. On the other hand, the opposition Congress has fielded 147 candidates and its ally NCP 121.
The main contest is between the 'Mahayuti' or grand alliance led by the BJP, and the 'maha-aghadi' (front) led by the Congress and NCP.
LIVE NEWS and UPDATES
19:18 (IST)
Filed a complaint with EC regarding malfunctioning EVM in Ramtek Assembly constituency, says Congress' Avinash Pandey
"We have set up this war room since 6 am. We are getting information from poll booths, mostly that Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) are not functioning properly, these were changed at a few places. We got complaint from Ramtek Assembly constituency booth no. 337 that if you press one particular button on the EVM, a different symbol comes out on the VVPAT. We have filed a complaint with the EC in this regard," said AICC General Secretary Avinash Pandey.
19:01 (IST)
Man faints outside Pimpri-Chinchwad polling booth, dies in hospital
A 62-year-old man fainted while standing in the queue outside a polling station in Pimpri-Chinchwad and later died of brain hemorrhage in a hospital, said police.
According to the police, the deceased, Abdul Rahim Shaikh, a resident of Shantinagar, which is part of the Bhosari assembly constituency, was suffering from cancer for the last one year. "He, along with his wife, had come to cast his vote at one of the polling stations in Bhosari. While standing in the queue, Shaikh fainted and was taken home by family members and others," said a senior official attached to the Bhosari police station.
The elderly man was later taken to a local hospital where he died at around 11.30 am, he said. "According to medical reports, he died of brain hemorrhage (bleeding) in the hospital," the official said.
18:57 (IST)
Sharad Pawar says there will be a change of guard in Maharashtra
Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar expressed confidence that there will be a change of guard in Maharashtra after the Assembly elections. "Youngsters want change. The BJP and Shiv Sena ruled the state and people hoped their expectations would be fulfilled. That trust, however, has been betrayed," Pawar told reporters.
Maharashtra lagged behind in sectors such as agriculture and industries, and there were job losses too, the former Union minister claimed. "All this has created restlessness among people...I got good response across the state (during the campaigning). I do not have any doubt that there will be a change," he said.
18:55 (IST)
'Body language of voters' suggests BJP-Shiv Sena alliance will win, says Chandrakant Patil
Maharashtra BJP president and state minister Chandrakant Patil, who is contesting from Kothrud constituency, claimed that he will win by a margin of "1.60 lakh votes".
"Since the 2014 elections, people's faith in politics and politicians has increased, and the reason is the transparent government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi," he told reporters. He said that the "body language" of voters showed that the BJP-Shiv Sena alliance will win a huge victory, Patil said.
18:53 (IST)
Jadhav Jairam Waghela, a physically-challenged voter, got his arm inked after casting vote in Thane
Officials in Deolali assembly constituency in Nashik district also applied the indelible ink to one of the toes of a farmer who had lost his arms in an accident a few years ago.
18:46 (IST)
Maharashtra records 55.83 percent voter turnout till 6 pm
Maharashtra recorded 55.83 percent voter turnout till 6 pm. Karvir recorded the highest voter percentage at 79.19 percent, while the poorest turnout data was from Kasbapeth where only 36.08 percent showed up to vote.
18:39 (IST)
Here is full constituency-wise turnout data till 6 pm
18:34 (IST)
As Maharashtra Assembly polls come to a close, Aaditya Thackeray thanks voters
18:28 (IST)
Television channels to air exit polls 6.30 pm onwards
Television channels will air exit polls 6.30 pm onwards, after a mandatory 30-minute gap following the conclusion of polls at 6 pm.
18:25 (IST)
JP Nadda to meet BJP general secretaries to deliberate on Maharashtra, Haryana Assembly polls
Bharatiya Janata Party national working president JP Nadda will hold a meeting of the party's general secretaries on Tuesday at the party headquarters in Delhi, where the leaders will deliberate on the Maharashtra and Haryana Assembly polls.
According to party leaders, discussions will also be held regarding the BJP's function to mark the birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel on October 31.
18:23 (IST)
Scuffles reported in Beed, Jalna
Reports of scuffles came in from Beed and Jalna districts earlier this afternoon. In Beed's Balepeer area, supporters of Shiv Sena candidate Jaydatt Kshirsagar and NCP candidate Sandeep Kshirsagar had an altercation over allegations of vehicles being used to ferry voters to polling booths, an official said. The area was tense for a while before police, as well as the two candidates, defused the situation, PTI reported.
18:11 (IST)
Election Commission of India officials to brief the media at 6.30 pm
17:59 (IST)
Earlier today, Shah Rukh Khan and his wife Gauri Khan cast their votes at a polling booth in Bandra West
17:43 (IST)
BSP leader throws ink on EVM machine in Thane
A Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) leader Sunil Khambe threw ink on the EVM in a polling booth situated in Thane Head Post Office, police said.
PTI
17:39 (IST)
Teacher on poll duty faints while walking to voting booth in Gadchiroli, dies during treatment
A 45-year-old teacher posted on election duty in Gadchiroli district died in a hospital after fainting while walking towards the voting booth in morning, an official told PTI.
Bapu Pandu Gavade, who was heading to the voting booth with a polling party from Dehari base camp, fainted mid-way in the morning near Pursalgondi village of Gadchiroli's Etapalli area, he said. "He used to get epileptic fits. He suffered head injuries after he fainted. He was taken to Etapalli hospital first and then to a bigger facility at Chandrapur. Gavade, however, died during treatment," the official said.
17:32 (IST)
Former president Pratibha Patil cast her vote at a polling booth in Pune
17:22 (IST)
BJP MP from Punjab's Gurdaspur Sunny Deol cast his vote at a polling booth in Juhu, Mumbai
Mumbai City district has recorded a voter turnout of 39.12 percent till 5 pm.
17:21 (IST)
EC sets up creche facilities to allow women voters to exercise their franchise
Temporary creches for children have seen set up for the first time in some Assembly segments of Maharashtra. "The experiment was carried out for the first time during the Lok Sabha elections held earlier this year, and now the Election Commission (EC) has replicated the same concept in the Maharashtra polls," an ECI official said.
PTI
16:59 (IST)
Actor Salman Khan casts his vote at a polling booth in Mumbai's Bandra West
16:58 (IST)
Maharashtra Congress complains to EC about malfunctioning EVMS in state
Maharashtra Congress claimed that the electronic voting machines (EVMs) were malfunctioning in several booths across the state. "We have been sitting here in the Congress war room since 6 am and have received many complaints of EVMs not functioning properly in various polling booths, some of which were even changed after the complaint," Avinash Pandey Congress general secretary and the party's war room in-charge in Mumbai told ANI.
Pandey gave the example of a polling booth in the Ramtek assembly constituency. "For example, in booth number 337 in the Ramtek assembly constituency, a complaint came that while the button against one party's symbol was being pressed the VVPAT showed the symbol of another party. This is a serious fault," Pandey said.
"We have complained to the Election Commission regarding this and we are hopeful it will be resolved soon," he further said.
16:51 (IST)
How to find your name in electoral roll and locate polling booth to vote today
Each citizen of India who is over 18 years of age and is a domicile of Maharashtra is ideally eligible to cast their vote in the Assembly polls. However, an important step in claiming that right is having yourself registered in the list of voters or electoral roll. If you have signed up for the same, here is how you can verify whether your name is part of the official list of registered voters. Read more here...
16:42 (IST)
A 102-year-old man, who was hospitalised, came out to vote in Pune, urging people to exercise their franchise
The Pune cantonment constituency has recorded 27.72 percent polling till 4 pm.
16:28 (IST)
Members of the transgender community cast their vote
At the Mahatma Gandhi Vidyalaya polling centre in Ichalkaranji constituency, members of the transgender community cast their vote. The constituency has 56 voters belonging to the third gender
Inputs by: Abhijeet Gurjar/101Reporters
16:23 (IST)
Polling in the Gadchiroli constituency ended at 3 pm
Polling at Naxal-dominated Gadchiroli recorded a total polling percentage of 52 percent when the voting ended at 3 pm.
Inputs: Ashwin Aghor/101Reporters
16:20 (IST)
Maharashtra records 43.77 percent voter turnout till 4 pm
Maharashtra recorded 43.77 percent voter turnout till 4 pm. Arjuni-morgaon recorded the highest voter percentage at 66.53 percent, while the poorest turnout data was from Kalyan east where only 24.35 percent showed up to vote.
16:04 (IST)
Election Commission devises innovative means to facilitate voting in Kambleshwar village, which witnessed heavy rains
16:02 (IST)
Here is full constituency-wise turnout data till 3 pm
15:34 (IST)
BJP-Shiv Sena alliance will break all records in Maharashtra, says Prakash Javadekar
Union Minister Prakash Javadekar told that the BJP-Shiv Sena alliance in Maharashtra will break all previous records by winning more than 222 seats. "Not just 220, we will cross 222 seats this time in Maharashtra. The Congress had won 222 seats once but we are going to break this record and form an even stronger government this time," he said.
"The people are coming out to vote in large numbers in both Maharashtra and Haryana. They are once again siding with the BJP, it is because of the work done by both the state governments under the guidance of Narendra Modi," Javadekar said.
the Congress had won in 222 seats in the 1972 Assembly elections in the state, the highest victory margin the state's history.
15:30 (IST)
BJP is going to form the government in Maharashtra, says Dharmendra Pradhan
Speaking to reporters, union minister and BJP leader Dharmendra Pradhan expressed confidence that the BJP is going to form the government in both the states - Haryana and Maharashtra. "We are confident that people will continue to support Prime Minister Narendra Modi, his philosophy and policies," he said.
15:14 (IST)
Close contest on cards in most seats in Raigad
Maharashtra’s Raigad district, considered a stronghold of Peasants and Workers Party (PWP), is likely to witness a close contest in six out of its seven Assembly constituencies. The district comprises seven assembly segments -- Panvel, Alibaug, Uran, Karjat, Pen, Mahad and Shrivardhan.
15:12 (IST)
Polling to conclude at 6 pm, exit polls embargoed till 6.30 pm
Voting for Maharashtra Assembly elections will close at 6 pm today. However, voters already in the queue will be allowed to cast their votes. The exit polls, which are an attempt to understand leanings of the electorate, will begin airing on various tv channels after 6.30 pm, as according to Election Commission rules, no survey or exit poll data can be revealed till the last vote is cast because it has the potential to influence voter behaviour.
14:44 (IST)
Here is full constituency-wise turnout data till 2 pm
14:42 (IST)
Maharashtra records 30.75% voter turnout till 2 pm
Maharashtra recorded 30.75 percent voter turnout till 2 pm. Armori recorded the highest voter percentage at 49.26 percent, while the poorest turnout data was from Dombivali in Navi Mumbai where only 17% showed up to vote
14:20 (IST)
Voter turnout for the Satara Lok Sabha seat stood at 36.03% till 2 pm
The Satara bypoll was necessitated after sitting MP from the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), Udayanraje Bhosale, joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) after resigning from Lok Sabha. Udayanraje Bhosale, now contesting on a BJP ticket, is being challenged by NCP’s Shriniwas Patil.
14:17 (IST)
EC officials find unique ways to beat weather woes to facilitate voting
Election Commission came up with a novel way to help voters reach their booth in Satara's Kambleshwar village despite heavy rainfall.
14:14 (IST)
EVM glitches at Maharashtra polling booths, Congress complains to EC
14:11 (IST)
Voter turnout till 1 pm
The state of Maharashtra has recorded 27.88 percent turnout by 1 pm. The least amount of voting percentage was recorded in Ahmadpur.
13:56 (IST)
Tacit support to rebels, history of shadow boxing between BJP, Shiv Sena betrays fissures in Mahayuti alliance
Even though the ruling alliance of BJP-Shiv Sena is formidable on the ground, the internal one-upmanship between the two could cost seats in the Marathwada and Vidarbha regions. Both parties have remained silent on their rebel candidates — who filed nomination as Independents — in several constituencies even though the allies have officially agreed for the seat-sharing formula. It betrays how both BJP and Shiv Sena are trying pull each other down for different reasons. The allies have indulged in shadow boxing over the past five years. BJP wants to be the party at the top without any challenger. And the Shiv Sena does not want to be eaten up by its own ally.
In Bhandara, Narendra Bondekar is trying to hurt BJP with tacit support from Shiv Sena. In Yavatmal, Santosh Dhawle and Vishwas Nandekar, are trying to eat into BJP candidate's votes. In another Yavatmal constituency, Sanjay Deshmukh, with BJP's tacit support, could hurt Shiv Sena's Sanjay Rathod, also the minister of state for revenue. In Nanded, Dilip Kandkrute, in Nanded South could hurt Shiv Sena's Rajshri Patil. Shyam Sunder Shinde, rumoured to be supported by BJP in Nanded's Loha Kandhar constituency could hurt Mukteshwar Dhondge.
13:47 (IST)
Hema Malini casts her vote
Mathura MP Hema Malini cast her vote at Jamnabai School for the Vile Parle Assembly seat. BJP’s Alavani Parag is up against Congress’ Jayanti Jivabhai Siroya and MNS’ Juilee Omkar Shende for the seat.
13:45 (IST)
Smriti Irani casts her vote in Mumbai
13:43 (IST)
Rural Pune sees larger turnout, voting picking up in city
The Baramati Assembly constituency of the 21 seats in Pune witnessed maximum turnout in the first four hours of polling while it is slowly picking up in the urban area of Pune city. As per the voting percentage registered till 11 am, a large number of people exercised their vote in the rural areas. The maximum was registered in Baramati constituency with 22.6 percent turnout followed by 22 per cent turnout in Junnar, 21.7 percent in Bhor, 20.9 per cent in Ambegaon, 18.5 per cent in Indapur. The urban area has registered a poor turnout with 9.17 percent in Pune Cantonment seat and 9.67 percent in Kasbapeth seat.
13:36 (IST)
Here is the 1 pm turnout data for all 288 constituencies
13:20 (IST)
17.01% polling reported in Maharashtra, Karjat Jamkhed in Ahmednagar sees highest response at 41%
According to the election commission website, the overall voting percentage across Maharashtra till 12 pm is at 17.01 percent, mostly dragged down by urban seats which saw poor turnouts. The rural areas on the other hand, have seen an encouraging pattern. Karjat Jamkhed seat in Ahmednagar district has the highest response at 41 percent. Kaij in Beed saw the lowest turnout at just 7.1 percent
13:08 (IST)
Opposition candidate shot at, thrashed in Amravati's Morshi seat
Three motocycle-borne masked men fired at a candidate of pro-farmer outfit Swabhimani Paksha on Monday when he was going in a car, and also beat him up after pulling him out of the vehicle in Maharashtra's Amravati district, police said. The attackers later set the car ablaze.
12:56 (IST)
Unique drives to encourage voters
The Election Campaign has employed several unique measures to encourage a healthy voter turnout in Maharashtra Assembly elections, and so have the citizens and local citizens also pitched in. From polling officials giving out roses to voters who participated in the democratic exercise in Wardha, to a local bakery offering cake to people who turn up to vote in Mumbai's Lal Baugcha Raja, there are several campaigns being run.
According to a report by The Times of India, a housing society in Malabar Hill have planned get-togethers and tea parties. The report suggests that hoteliers are persuading guests to check out by October 20 evening so that they could cast their votes on October 21.
EC has also put up, pink booths, which have all-women staff to encourage female voters.
12:49 (IST)
Complaints of missing names on voter lists crop up across Maharashtra
Some of the voters at Cheetah Camp (Anushakti Nagar assembly) area have complained of their names missing from the voters list, Hindustan Times reported. Minhajuddin Khan (62), Cheetah Camp resident, said, "I have been voting here since the past 20 years. This year, my name was missing from the list during the Lok Sabha elections as well. I had complained about this to the polling officer that time. However, they have not done anything about it."
12:45 (IST)
Former cricketer Sachin Tendulkar casts his vote
Former cricketer Sachin Tendulkar cast his vote at the Bandra West constituency along with wife Anjali and their son Arjun.
Image by Sachin Gokhale, Firstpost
12:35 (IST)
Thackerays vote in Mumbai's Worli
Shiv Sena leader Aaditya Thackeray, who is the first member of the political clan to make a debut in electoral politics, voted along with his family in Mumbai's Worli, from where he is contesting.
12:33 (IST)
'Won't vote', says Bhil tribe in Beed; Fadnavis govt could face reckoning over water issue in drought-hit districts
The severity of drought in Maharashtra's Beed and Latur districts, three years after the Jaldoot Express carried 25 lakh litres of water into the parched Marathwada region, continues to be grim and could prove to be a matter of reckoning for the BJP-Shiv Sena government in the 21 October Assembly election. In addition to unemployment, locals are also resentful towards politicians due to the lack of proper housing in the area despite Prime Minister Narendra Modi's flagship scheme for rural housing. They slammed all the political parties, including the previously ruling coalition of the Congress and NCP.
Read more on this here
12:06 (IST)
Devendra Fadnavis seeks re-election on promise of employment, better infra
Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and his wife Amruta cast their votes at Dharampeth, in Nagpur. Fadnavis is contesting against Dr Ashish Deshmukh of the Indian National Congress from Nagpur South West seat. The chief minister, who is the first in almost 47 years to complete a full term, is seeking re-election on promises attractive for all segments of voters.
For the youngsters, the BJP's manifesto has promised to provide 5 crore jobs in the next five years along with making Maharashtra a $1 trillion economy, while for the urban poor it promises subsidised housing projects by 2022. Specifically targetting the Maratha pride, the party has promised to seek the prestigious Bharat Ratna awards for notable activists and social reformers from the state, like Mahatma Jyotiba Phule, Savitribai Phule and Veer Savarkar.
The BJP has also promised to create a drinking water grid project for the parched Marathwada region in the next five years. In addition to a commitment to invest up to Rs 5 lakh crore in infrastructure projects in the state, the party has also promised to create a separate maintenance department to keep a tab of ongoing highway projects.
Input by Ashwin Aghor/101Reporters