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Mumbai BMC Polls See Sluggish 7.12% Voter Turnout in Early Hours

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation elections began with a sluggish voter turnout of just 7.12% recorded until 9:30 AM. Official data revealed a significant gender gap, with nearly twice as many men casting their votes compared to women. Several voters, including political figures, reported issues like malfunctioning websites and missing voting slips at polling stations. The elections are being held across 29 municipal corporations in Maharashtra, with results expected on January 16.

Key Points: BMC Elections: Low Voter Turnout in Mumbai, Gender Gap

  • 7.12% turnout till 9:30 AM
  • Male voters double female voters
  • Technical glitches reported at booths
  • Voting across 29 Maharashtra corporations
3 min read

BMC elections see sluggish start in Mumbai; 7.12 per cent voter turnout recorded till 9:30 AM

Mumbai's BMC elections record only 7.12% voter turnout till 9:30 AM, with men voting at nearly twice the rate of women. Latest updates.

"The higher-income groups complain about everything but are reluctant to come out to cast their votes. - Subhash Chandra"

Mumbai, January 15

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation elections recorded a slow start on Thursday, with only a 7.12 per cent voter turnout recorded till 9:30 AM. However, these early trends have shown almost double the number of male voters casting their vote in comparison to women.

The highest voter turnout was recorded in Ward number 18 in Mumbai city at 11.57 per cent. Whereas, ward no 162 recorded the lowest turnout at 1.68 per cent.

A total of 7,36,996 voters have cast their votes out of a total 1,03,44,315. According to official data released by the State Election Commission (SEC), nearly twice as many men as women have cast their votes. 4,54,539 men have cast their vote in BMC elections, compared to 2,82,433 women.

Earlier, several leaders, including Maharashtra Minister Ganesh Naik, along with his family, cast their vote at Bonkode Polling Station for the local body polls.

Former RS MP, Subhash Chandra also cast his vote and criticised the 'higher income groups' for complaining but not coming out to vote.

"I came to cast my vote today. The higher-income groups complain about everything but are reluctant to come out to cast their votes. They probably don't have the right to complain if they can't come to cast their vote," he said.

He also claimed that there were slight problems with him finding his booth number at first, but the officers helped him promptly.

"There might have been some glitch in the voting lists; there is not much trouble. I also was not able to find the booth number, but the officers did not take much time to find it for me," he said.

Shiv Sena (UBT) spokesperson Anand Dubey also cast his vote at a polling station in Mumbai's Kandivali.

Dubey said the Election Commission (EC) website was not functioning properly and urged citizens to leave their homes to cast votes. The Shiv Sena (UBT) leader claimed that the candidate for whom he cast his vote was not displayed on the digital screen.

Similar statements were made by others, with Director Ashutosh Gowariker's brother, Avinash Gowariker expressed his disappointment over the lack of "voting slips."

Speaking to ANI about the arrangements, Gowariker said that although the venue was "comfortable" and there were no issues, the absence of "voting slips" caused delays and confusion at the polling stations.

Polling began at 7:30 am on Thursday, January 15, and will continue until 5:30 pm. The counting of votes is scheduled to take place on Friday, January 16.

Meanwhile, polling is being held on Thursday across 29 municipal corporations in Maharashtra. The elections are taking place after an intense campaign and are seen as crucial for major cities such as Mumbai, Pune, Nagpur, Thane, Navi Mumbai, Nashik, and Pimpri-Chinchwad.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

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Priya S
The gender gap is worrying! Nearly double the men voting compared to women? As a working woman in Mumbai, I made sure to vote early before heading to the office. We need to ask why women are not coming out. Is it safety, time, or lack of awareness? Civic issues affect us all equally.
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Aman W
Voted in Ward 18 this morning! The process was smooth for me, but I heard from neighbours about the missing voting slips causing confusion. The SEC needs to get these basics right. How can we expect high turnout when there are glitches from the start? Still, no excuse not to vote. Jai Maharashtra!
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Sarah B
I'm an expat living in Mumbai, and I find the low turnout surprising given how passionately people discuss local issues. The BMC manages so much of city life. Hopefully, the numbers pick up through the day. The technical issues with the website and slips, as reported, are unfortunate and shouldn't happen.
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Karthik V
Respectfully, while I agree voting is important, the criticism feels one-sided. When people see the same parties and promises election after election, with little change on the ground, voter apathy is a natural result. The system needs to earn people's trust, not just scold them for not participating.
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Meera T
My parents are senior citizens and they were quite anxious about going because of the missing slips. Thankfully, the officers were helpful, like for Subhash Chandra. But not everyone has that confidence. The election commission must do better with voter facilitation, especially for the elderly. Let's hope the afternoon sees a rush!

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