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PremiumLive: Voting is underway in 90 seats in Haryana and 288 assembly constituencies of Maharashtra. While the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is seeking to make history by returning to power in the two states, the Opposition led by the Congress party is fighting for political relevance.
Also Read: Maharashtra, Haryana exit polls results 2019 Live updates: Will BJP retain both states?
Maharashtra polls | The fiercest contest in Maharashtra is between the 'Mahayuti' or grand alliance led by the BJP, and the 'maha-aghadi' (front) led by the Congress and NCP. Raj Thackeray's MNS has also fielded 101 candidates.
Haryana elections | The ruling BJP is locked in a contest with the opposition Congress and the fledgeling JJP for the Haryana Assembly. As many as 1,169 candidates of various political outfits are contesting the election. The prominent figures who are in the poll fray are Manohar Lal Khattar, Bhupinder Singh Hooda.
Bypolls for 51 Assembly, 2 Lok Sabha seats across 17 states and 1 UT |
Besides the two states, assembly bypolls are underway in 51 seats and Lok Sabha by-elections in two constituencies across the country.
Counting of votes will be on October 24.
Nearly 69% polling was recorded for two assembly seats in Himachal Pradesh on Monday, a state election official said.
Pachhad saw nearly 73% voting as per preliminary reports, whereas 65.39 per cent of eligible voters exercised their franchise in Dharamshala, he added.
The voting was held from 8 am to 5 pm in the state.
In Dharamshala, 53,063 electors-- 26,423 men and 26640 women--cast their votes, a district official said. The votes of service electors had not been included in the turnout so far, he added.
65% voter turnout recorded till 6 pm in Haryana. Voting is still going on, so the turnout is likely to rise. 60.5% voter turnout recorded till 6 pm in Maharashtra.
Haryana records 62% turnout at close of polling for assembly elections.
54.53% voter turnout recorded till 5 pm for the assembly elections in the state.
44% poll percentage recorded in Mumbai City district till 5 pm.
By 4 pm, 44% voters turned up for polling in Maharashtra, while 51% voters cast their vote in Haryan, according to data provided by ECI's Voter Turnout app.
Senior Congress leader Milind Deora on Monday appealed the people of Maharashtra, especially the youth, to come out and vote in large numbers.
"I would like to appeal this to all the people of Maharashtra to come out and cast their precious votes. I would like to request the young voters, especially, to come to vote for progress in Maharashtra," he told reporters after casting his ballot.
On October 14, disgruntled Congress leader Sanjay Niupam had called Deora 'Nikamma' (useless) and downplayed speculation over his absence at Rahul Gandhi's rally in the state during the run-up to the elections.
'Despite heavy rains, voters being facilitated by innovative, available means! Polling stations 351 and 352. Kambleshwar village Maharashtra'
Union Minister Prakash Javadekar on Monday exuded confidence that the BJP-Shiv Sena alliance in Maharashtra will break all previous records by winning more than 222 seats.
Speaking to ANI, Javadekar said, "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."
Sushma Satpute, Election Commission officer at Worli: There was some issue in an electronic voting machine (EVM) at polling booth number 62 of Worli Assembly constituency but the machine has been replaced and voting is going on.
Cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar led the sports fraternity to vote for the Maharashtra Assembly elections on Monday, and appealed to people to come out in large numbers to exercise their democratic right.
Tendulkar cast his vote along with wife Anjali and son Arjun, who is a budding left-arm pacer, at a polling booth in suburban Bandra.
Thirty seven per cent of over 1.83 crore voters in Haryana turned out by 2 p.m. on Monday to elect 90 members of the Assembly amidst minor skirmishes and snags in electronic voting machines (EVMs), officials said.
"The voter turnout was 37 per cent till 2 p.m.," an electoral official told IANS. The polling started at 7 am and will continue till 6 p.m.
Altogether 30.89 per cent voters exercised their franchise in the first six hours on Monday in Maharashtra, after polling for the 288 Assembly seats began at 7 am, officials said.
Election officials said Akkalkuwa constituency in north Maharashtra recorded 41.32 per cent voting till 1 pm, while Magathane in north Mumbai recorded 30.43 per cent polling during the same period.
The polling percentage across 288 Assembly Constituencies in Maharashtra is 30.89% till 1.30 pm
Mumbai city saw a turnout of 25.39%
Mumbai suburbs saw a turnout of 25.59%
Malabar Hill: 26.75%
Mumbadevi: 22.24%
Worli: 25.13%
Colaba: 18.44%
Lyricist and poet Gulzar on Monday made a special appeal to senior citizens in Maharashtra to exercise their franchise.
The Oscar-winning lyricist lauded the younger generation by calling them "responsible" and urged the senior citizens to cast their votes so that they don't have any reason to complain later.
Haryana sees 33.46% turnout at 1 PM, Maharashtra turnout at 22.79%
As of 1 PM, according to ECI, Haryana has higher turnout compared to Maharashtra.
In a first, the Election Commission is using barcodes to verify voters' details at a polling station in Pune's Kasba Peth constituency in the Maharashtra assembly elections.
"This is the first time barcodes are being used to verify voters in an election. In the future, it will allow voters to cast their votes without having to show their voter identity cards," the poll officer at the station, Sunil Raut said
"Just like eating, breathing is essential for living, so is casting our votes," said singer Kailash Kher who stepped out to vote.
Others from the film fraternity including 'Batla House' actor John Abraham and Dia Mirza too cast their votes.
Sharing a picture of him on Instagram, John wrote, "Cast your vote."
"Voting Day! My favourite festival :) the festival of Democracy," wrote Dia.
Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar on Monday cast his vote here and appealed to the people to come out in large numbers and exercise their franchise.
"I request everyone to come out and vote in large numbers, this is a celebration of democracy," Pawar told media.
NCP is contesting on 121 seats in the Maharashtra Assembly elections, while Congress has its candidates in 147 constituencies.
Haryana's Fatehabad records most number of voters
With a turnout of 27.12%, Fatehabad stands out in Haryana with highest turnout.
Voter turnout is 23.12% & 16.28% till 12 in Haryana & Maharashtra, respectively.
Voter turnout gains momentum in Maharashtra
Polling percentage as of 11:00 am:
Andheri West: 12.66%
Versova: 12.45%
Andheri East: 17.15%
Voter turnout is 11.68% & 6.35% till 11 am in Haryana & Maharashtra, respectively.
Voter turnout is 8.92% & 5.77% till 10 am in Haryana & Maharashtra, respectively.
This is the first set of assembly polls since Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led BJP returned to power in the national elections earlier this year with a historic mandate
