65% turnout in Maharashtra, Mumbai records a paltry 50%

The highest voter turnout was witnessed in Kagal constituency while the lowest was at Bramhapuri constituency

Maharashtra registered over 64% voting for the election to the 288 member assembly. In the five-cornered contest in Maharashtra, which has 8.35 crore voters, polling started on a brisk note, slowed down around noon but again picked up. Mumbai recorded about 50% while Vidarbha and Marathwada regions 67% each. In western Maharashtra, which is famous for the co-operative movement, about 60% voting took place while 60 to 62% in Konkan and north Maharashtra. The highest voter turnout was witnessed in Kagal constituency of Kolhapur district while the lowest was at Bramhapuri constituency in Chandrapur district, officials said. Counting of votes will take place on October 19.

Political party sources admit that voters in Mumbai preferred to stay at home instead of casting their votes unlike Lok Sabha election. In parts of Vidarbha voting in the morning was affected due to heavy rains but later picked up.

The police sources said barring few incidents of scuffle among various party workers, the polling was by and large peaceful.

Technical problems in electronic voting machines (EVMs) were reported from some polling booths in Nagpur city and Wardha district in Vidarbha, and Sewree in Mumbai. Voters in a Nashik booth also complained that the electoral rolls were not in order. A policeman on election duty was killed after being struck by lightning in Avdeghat polling station of Savner constituency in Vidarbha, where polling in some parts was marred by rains.

Among the early voters in Maharashtra were former chief minister Prithviraj Chavan, who cast his vote in Karad in western Maharashtra, from where he is a candidate, former Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar in Baramati, former Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde in Solapur, Leader of Opposition in Council Vinod Tawde in Mumbai and NCP MP Supriya Sule and her mother Pratibha Pawar. NCP chief Sharad Pawar cast his vote in Mumbai, while Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray was joined by his wife Rashmi and son Aditya.

State BJP president Devendra Fadnavis, a front runner for chief ministerial post in case BJP comes to power, also cast his vote. Among Bollywood personalities who went to polling booths in Mumbai early today were Rekha, Jaya Bachchan, Abhishek Bachchan, Amol Palekar, BJP MP Hema Malini and her daughter Esha, Anupam Kher, Salman Khan and Sonali Bendre. Cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar also cast his vote.