At 65.2%, Maharashtra records highest voter turnout since 1995 assembly election

Maharashtra election 2024: Maharashtra saw appeals from top celebrities, politicians, and activists urging people to come out and exercise their right to vote.

Maharashtra, which went to the polls on November 20 to elect a new 288-member assembly, recorded a voter turnout of 65.02 per cent—the highest since the 1995 assembly poll that saw a turnout of 71.7 per cent.

First time voter Azmathunnisa Laheri along with her mother Iffathunnisa Laheri gets selfie after casting their vote for State assembly elections at voting centre in Dongri, in Mumbai, India, on Wednesday, November 20, 2024. (Photo by Anshuman Poyrekar/ Hindustan Times)(Hindustan Times)

The turnout also surpasses the 61.39 per cent recorded during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and is also higher than the 61.4 per cent in the 2019 assembly election.

The state saw appeals from top celebrities, politicians, and activists urging people toexercise their right to vote. Many said that the Election Commission of India had made elaborate arrangements at the polling stations for the convenience of voters.

According to the Election Commission of India (ECI), the voter turnout recorded by 11:30pm on Wednesday showed that, out of the 36 districts in the state, Kolhapur—home to ten assembly constituencies—had the highest turnout at 76.25 per cent. It was followed by Gadchiroli with 73.68 per cent and Jalna with 72.30 per cent.

Meanwhile, the Mumbai City district, which also includes ten assembly segments, recorded the lowest turnout at 52.07 percent. Other districts, such as Thane and Mumbai Suburban, with 18 and 26 constituencies respectively, saw voter turnouts of 56.05 percent and 55.77 percent.

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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.

“Over 1,185 polling stations were set up in high-rise buildings and residential societies. Following instructions from CEC Rajiv Kumar, essential facilities were provided at the polling stations, such as benches for waiting voters, volunteers, and wheelchairs,” the Election Commission added.

Ahead of the polls, several awareness and mass mobilisation campaigns were launched, featuring film celebrities and state and national icons from the Election Commission, aimed at encouraging urban and young voters to participate.

Maharashtra boasts the highest urban population among all states and union territories, with over 5.1 crore urban residents making up more than 45 per cent of its total population.

The residents are spread across 43 cities and several townships. Despite the consistent national voter turnout exceeding 66 per cent in the past three parliamentary elections, Maharashtra has struggled to match this figure, with its turnout averaging 60-61 per cent. However, this time, it has broken that trend.