STATE DOES 'MAHA' BETTER AT 60%

Maharashtra recorded an estimated 60% voter turnout in the election to its 288 assembly seats on Wednesday.

- Kalpesh Mhamunkar

Gadchiroli district, a Naxal-hit area, saw the highest turnout at 69.63%, while Mumbai City district recorded the lowest at 51.27%, according to election officials. (Wire agency ANI has pegged the state turnout at 62%).

Voting took place amid sporadic incidents of violence, with political heavyweights, Bollywood celebrities, business leaders, and ordinary citizens all participating in the democratic process.

The reported turnout figures are provisional, with officials noting that 61.74% of voters participated in the 2019 assembly elections.

The electoral fate of 4,136 candidates, including 2,086 independents, was sealed in EVMs across the state's 288 constituencies. The ruling Mahayuti alliance is seeking to retain power, while the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) aims for a comeback after losing office in June 2022. Votes will be counted on November 23.