Maharashtra recorded a voter turnout of 65.02 per cent during the elections to 288 assembly seats on November 20.
Maharashtra recorded a voter turnout of 65.02 per cent during the elections to 288 assembly seats on November 20, setting a new high since the 1995 assembly poll that witnessed an impressive turnout of 71.7 per cent.
Maharashtra 2024 Assembly Election turnout also surpassed the figures set during the Lok Sabha elections earlier this year, which saw 61.39 per cent voter turnout. It’s also higher than the 61.4% recorded in the 2019 Assembly polls.
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The Election Commission data recorded by 11:30 pm on Wednesday revealed that out of a total of 36 districts in Maharashtra, Kolhapur, consisting of ten assembly segments, clocked the highest turnout at 76.25 per cent.
On the other hand, Mumbai, which witnessed major election campaigns held by prominent political leaders, recorded the lowest turnout at 52.07 per cent, the poll panel data showed. Mumbai consists of 10 assembly constituencies.
However, Maharashtra’s overall voting percentage has set a new benchmark. It comes after the state witnessed top celebrities, politicians, and activists calling on people to exercise their right to vote. They highlighted the EC’s extensive arrangements at polling booths to ensure voter convenience.
The Election Commission said that special attention was given to addressing urban apathy, considering the consistently low voter turnout in urban areas of Maharashtra during previous state and parliamentary elections.
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District-Wise Voter Turnout
The voter turnout across various districts of Maharashtra varied, with Kolhapur recording the highest at 76.25 pc, followed by Gadchiroli at 73.68 pc and Jalna at 72.30 pc. Other districts with high turnout include Chandrapur (71.27 pc), Sangli (71.89 pc), and Ahmednagar (71.73 pc).
Other districts such as Amravati (65.57 pc), Aurangabad (68.89 pc), Beed (67.79 pc), and Nanded (64.92 pc) saw significant participation, while districts like Thane (56.05 pc) and Washim (66.01 pc) had moderate turnout. The overall turnout in Maharashtra reached 65.02 pc, marking the highest since the 1995 Assembly elections.
Maharashtra ElectionExit Polls
Exit polls indicate that the Bharatiya Janata Party and its allies may have the edge in Maharashtra following victories in the April-June Lok Sabha elections and last month’s Haryana polls.
ABP-Matrize has predicted 150-170 seats for Mahayuti and 110-130 for the Maha Vikas Aghadi. Meanwhile, P-MarQ has given 137-157 seats to the Mahayuti and 126-146 to the MVA. On the other hand, Chanakya has given 152-160 seats to the Mahayuti and 130-138 to MVA.
In the 2019 Maharashtra assembly polls, the Bharatiya Janata Party and the (then undivided) Shiv Sena dominated, winning 161 of 288 seats. However, the alliance fell apart over the sharing of power, and the Sena joined hands with the (then undivided) Nationalist Congress Party and the Congress to form the government.
But, in 2023, rebellions by Sena’s Eknath Shinde, who is now Maharashtra chief minister, and NCP’s Ajit Pawar, now his deputy, forced then CM Uddhav Thackeray to step down and his coalition Maha Vikas Aghadi government to collapse.
