BMC Elections Live: Entry To Poll Booths Closes, Queues Continue

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Also Read: Mumbai, Do Read This SWOT Analysis Before You Step out to Vote!

Entry to polling booths closes at 5:30 PM, according to EC directives.However, polling by voters who have joined the queues before this deadline, continues. Kilometer-long queues dominate booths across the city, with many offices allowing employees to go vote only after 3 PM. This has also led to a problem of crowd-management at many booths.

Nitin Kubal, an independent candidate was caught on camera allegedly ushering in a group of his voters just before 5:30 PM, the time limit to enter a polling booth. He is campaigning under the banner of Swaraj India, the newly formed party under Yogendra Yadav and Prashant Bhushan. Kubal has three pending criminal cases, according to his candidature form.

An eye-witness testimony has surfaced of a group of 20 Shiv Sainiks openly campaigning in Colaba on the day of polling, against the Model Code of Conduct imposed by the EC.

Meera Kamath, an independent candidate from Borivli and a social activist has written to the Election Commission asking for a re-election from her ward. This year the State EC has taken to displaying all details, including criminal information of candidates at polling booths. Kamath alleges that wrongful information about her has been displayed fabricating a two-year punishment by the judiciary, “with ulterior motive and ill intention.”

Kamath further alleges that incorrect voters’ lists have been provided to her so as to deliberately confuse her volunteers at polling booths and prevent them from guiding voters. She claims access to the amended lists were denied to her, as well.

Bollywood’s King Khan reaches Mount Mary Steps in Bandra to cast his vote for the BMC elections, amidst a sea of fans.

Even until the last hour of polling, several cases of missing names of voters from electoral rolls keep cropping up, throwing shade at Maharashtra EC’s handling of these polls. While some attribute this to mismanagement, many, especially from the BJP, are crying foul over these disappearances and are asking for an investigation.

Experts say that a voter turnout under 50% will likely favour the Shiv Sena; the more people vote, the better are BJP’s chances.

Pune registers 43% votes by 3:30 PM. Mumbai registers a voter turnout of 41.32%.

The average voter turnout till 1:30 PM is 32.1% for BMC elections. Voter turnout was the highest in Maharashtra for TMC in this time bracket, averaging 35.11%.

Voting will continue till 5:30 PM today.

Soon after a BJP MLA from Charkop alleged foul play over several cases of missing voters’ names coming up since the morning, a protest over the same has broken out out in Sarvodya Vidyalaya in Ghatkopar West in suburban Mumbai. Voters claim that their names are missing and their photos are missing. Police protection has been increased in the area.

Mumbai BJP unit President Ashish Shelar speaks to the press about these polling glitches after casting his vote in Bandra. He claims that many people have not received their voting slips either.

Over 200 Rabodi residents left fuming after their names are deleted from the voters’ list for the Thane Municipal Corporation elections. Residents of Popular Niketan, a residential building in Shivaji Park, Dadar have come forward claiming that none of their names are in any of the voters’ lists in the neighbourhood. “Our kids were first-time voters but couldn’t find their names in the list and felt discouraged,” says Kumar Gokhale, a resident, speaking to DNA.

Arbaaz Khan, Salim Khan, Vivek Oberoi and family, and Subhash Ghai are amongst the celebrities who are stepping out to cast their vote on Tuesday afternoon.

Official polling percentage till 11:30 AM is 16.40%. Voting will go on till 5:30 PM today.

Amit Thackeray, Raj Thackeray’s son, who was hospitalised last week, is back home and cast his vote with his family members. He posted this family selfie after getting inked on his Facebook page.

Former cricketer Sachin Tendulkar reaches his polling booth, with wife Anjali to cast their votes in the BMC elections.

Actor Varun Dhawan speaks to the press about how “upsetting [it is] he couldn’t find his name in the voter list”, from his polling booth in Bandra. He says he “voted last year”, leading to many on Twitter trolling him.

He later apologises, clarifying he meant the Lok Sabha elections of 2014.

Shiv Sena Chief Uddhav Thackeray steps out to cast his vote with wife, Rashmi and son, Aditya Thackeray in Bandra East.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Devendra Fadnavis cast his vote in Nagpur.

What began as a few complaints of missing names in voter lists has now spread to a steady stream complaints from across the city of Mumbai. People who have been voting for years at their wards are being told to go back, with no informed volunteers to help. Others are complaining about the elections being held on a Tuesday, since most private companies continue to remain open today.

Earlier this morning, when Shania NC, national spokesperson for BJP, reached Napansea Road to cast her vote, her name was also missing. However, the problem is now resolved with the help of authorities. But what about the common people and their right to vote?

In ward number 214 at Mahalakshmi in South Mumbai, the candidate from NCP was rejected due to a technical error in his form. Then who did Sharad Pawar vote for this morning?

According to NCP local leader, Sachin Ahir, though the party is not openly supporting Congress, it has asked its members and followers to vote for “secular forces”.

Polling percentage from 7:30 AM to 9:30 AM is 8.07%. In the 2012 elections, only 44.75% of the voters turned up to vote, a very low polling percentage for one of the biggest and richest civic bodies in the world.

With the BJP and Shiv Sena going head-to-head, the polling pattern will ultimately affect the results of the elections as well.

Film producer Kiran Rao casts her vote for BMC, says open spaces and waste management are the important issues this election. With her, in Bandra, is actor John Abraham after getting inked.

Cricketer Sandeep Patil votes:

Shraddha Kapoor, Kunal Kohli, Ranveer Singh, filmmaker Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra and actress Mughdha Godse have stepped out to cast their vote, as polling booths slowly fill up as the day proceeds.

Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) Chief Raj Thackeray has reached a polling booth accompanied by his mother, wife and renowned singer Padmaja Fenani. MNS won 27 seats in 2012 BMC elections and 7 in 2007 elections.

Former Union Home Minister and Senior Congress leader, Sushil Kumar Shinde, too, gets inked at Solapur in Maharashtra.

Shania NC, BJP’s national spokesperson, social activist and fashion designer is surprised to find her name missing from the voting list after arriving at Napansea Road to cast her vote on a cycle.

Within two hours of voting, complaints from voters of juggled and deleted voting lists are starting to crop up. Many are complaining of their names being missing after years of voting, wrong polling stations, no queues for older citizens and no informed volunteers are polling booths.

According to sources, as reported by Bollywood Hungama, the following celebrities will not be coming forward to vote for their respective civic bodies today due to outdoor shooting schedules and other prior commitments.

• Aamir Khan: Outdoor
• Hrithik Rohan: Outdoor
• Dia Mirza: Outdoor
• Anupam Kher: Cape Town
• Rishi Kapoor: Hong Kong
• Ajay Devgn, Emraan Hashmi: Jodhpur shooting for Baadshaho
• Saif Ali Khan, Kangna Ranaut: Delhi for Rangoon promotions
• Sanjay Dutt: Bhopal
• Arjun Kapoor: London
• Priyanka Chopra: USA
• Javed Akhtar, Shabana Azmi: Bangalore

Some stars took to Twitter instead, urging people to vote today.

Manohar Joshi, former Chief Minister of Maharashtra from 1995-1999, casts his vote for BMC election at Ward 198, Balmohan Vidya Mandir, Shivaji Park, Dadar.

President of the Nationalist Congress Party, Sharad Pawar, and Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, also cast their vote in Mahalakshmi and Nagpur, respectively.

Ajoy Mehta, BMC Commissioner, is spotted at Peddar Road’s polling booth 214, after casting his vote.

Early voters amongst celebrities include Paresh Rawal, Renuka Shahane, Rekha, songwriter Gulzaar, Anushka Sharma and director Zoya Akhtar.

A snippet of Gulzaar sahab getting inked:

HDFC Chairman, Deepak Parekh casts his vote for BMC while dismissing demonetisation as a topic of contention in these elections: “We need to move on.”

BJP National Vice President and Rajya Sabha MP Vinay Sahasrabuddhe votes in Thane for Thane Municipal corporation.

Education Minister and Borivali (Mumbai) MLA Vinod Tawde is also seen casting his vote.

Bollywood actress Anushka Sharma is spotted by a local Marathi channel soon after she exercised her right to vote for the BMC elections.

From early on in the day, voters of all ages are heading to their near polling booth to vote for their municipal corporations.

Younger voters are also taking to social media to encourage people to go out and make their vote count.

Zoya Akhtar is spotted near Mount Mary Steps in Bandra, out to cast her vote for the BMC.

Tina Ambani steps out to cast her vote early in the day in Colaba, to give credit for the “good work done in Mumbai city.”

A woman Congress candidate and her colleagues were allegedly abused and threatened by two persons at their election office in suburban Borivali, police said on Monday. A case was registered against Chetan Parmar and Shivkumar Yadav on the complaint lodged by the Congress nominee Sheetal Mhatre.

According to Mhatre, the incident occurred Sunday night in Ganpat Patil Nagar, when the duo in an inebriated condition also threatened some locals at the office of a political party in the area.

Police have booked the duo under section 506 (punishment for criminal intimidation), 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) and 171 (B) of IPC, police said. Further probe is on.

The police are keeping a strong vigil to prevent any untoward or unethical incidents today. Late last night, the Kurar police seized two cars with BJP flags on them carrying liquor, with the intent of distributing them ahead of the BMC elections.

RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat cast his vote for Nagpur Municipal Corporation Elections.

Also Read: Nine Defining Quotes That Sum up BMC Campaigning

The cash-rich Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) goes to the polls on Tuesday in Maharashtra, along with nine other civic bodies.

A total of 2,275 candidates will be vying for 227 wards in the BMC. The results will be declared on 23 February.

Other than these ten civic bodies, the second phase of polling for 11 Zila Parishads (ZPs) and 118 Panchayat Samitis will also be held.

(With PTI, IANS and ANI inputs)