Maharashtra assembly polls 2024: 'Dismal record' of metropolitan voters continues, say EC

New Delhi: The Election Commission on Wednesday lamented that despite a range of measures taken by it for ease of voting besides motivational campaigns, urban voters in Maharashtra continued their "dismal record" of low participation in cities including Mumbai, Pune and Thane.

Polling for assembly elections in Maharashtra and Jharkhand concluded on Wednesday with the former recording 58.22 per cent voter turnout as of 5 PM and the latter 67.59 per cent, surpassing the 67.04 per cent voting in the corresponding assembly seats in 2019.

Maharashtra with 58.22 per cent polling is likely to cross the 2019 figures as voting still underway in the state, EC said.

While Maharashtra had assembly polls in a single phase, Jharkhand had polls in two phases.

The poll watchdog said special emphasis was placed on combating urban apathy owing to the trend of low voter turnout witnessed in urban centres in Maharashtra in past state and parliamentary elections.

More than 1,185 polling stations were set up in high rise buildings and societies and various awareness and mass mobilisation campaigns were organised ahead of the polls involving film celebrities, EC's state and national icons, to nudge urban and young voters.

Urban apathy is a phenomenon where voters in urban areas, especially youths, prefer to stay at home and do not turn up at polling stations on voting day.

Assembly Elections 2024 | The Maharashtra Assembly polls will take place against the backdrop of a fractured political landscape in the western state where the Shiv Sena and NCP will be going up against the Uddhav Thackeray and Sharad Pawar factions, even as the BJP and Congress try to make their mark. Meanwhile, in Jharkhand, the JMM faces a new challenge after Hemant Soren's recent arrest and Champai, a longstanding party member, joining the BJP. The Haryana election resulted in a shock loss for Congress, which was looking to galvanize on the Lok Sabha poll performance, while J&K also saw the grand old party eventually stepping away from the cabinet, with Omar Abdullah's JKNC forming government. It remains to be seen if the upcoming polls help BJP cement its position further or provide a fillip to I.N.D.I.A. Check live updates and track the latest coverage, live news, in-depth opinions, and analyses only on Deccan Herald.

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