Maharashtra election: Campaigning ends, voters to pick next govt on Nov 20

The seizures of cash, alcohol, and other items amid the poll code conduct for the Maharashtra assembly elections amounted to ₹660.16 crore, while 8,668 of 8,678 complaints lodged through the C-Vigil app were resolved, PTI reported.

Police in Maharashtra's Chandrapur district have registered cases against BJP candidate, state Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar and Congress's Santosh Singh Rawat after they had a verbal altercation at a village ahead of the assembly elections, an official said on Tuesday, PTI reported.

Stakes could not be higher for a number of regional heavyweights in Maharashtra as the state goes to the polls on Wednesday in what promises to be a make-or-break election for satraps like Sharad Pawar, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, his predecessor Uddhav Thackeray and deputy CM Ajit Pawar.

The two Pawars, Shinde and Thackeray are engaged in an intense and riveting battle to seek popular legitimacy for their parties, and which way the voters turn could spell the end of the road for two of them when the results of the election to the 288-member Maharashtra Assembly are declared on November 23.

Since the announcement of the model code of conduct on October 15, the Mumbai police have conducted operations leading to the seizure of contraband and illegal materials worth ₹175 crore.

Maharashtra's Vidarbha region, which accounts for 62 of the 288 assembly segments, has historically played a decisive role in state politics and both BJP and Congress are vying to win maximum seats here in the November 20 polls to strengthen their claim to power. Once a stronghold of the Congress, the region in eastern Maharashtra with Nagpur as its nerve centre saw the BJP making inroads in the 1990s and helped in giving the saffron party its first chief minister - Devendra Fadnavis - who served a full five-year term from 2014 to 2019.

With 9.7 crore eligible voters in Maharashtra, as many as 4,140 candidates are contesting for the 288 Assembly seats. There are a total of 1,00,186 polling stations spread across 52,789 locations in the state. Of these, there are 388 "pink booths" which are managed by women. Here's how to check your nearest polling booth

The Maha Mumbai Metro Operations Corporation Ltd. (MMMOCL) has planned extended metro services on November 20, 2024, in an effort to encourage public participation in the Maharashtra assembly election.

In order to ensure smooth connectivity at this important time, these additional services are designed to assist voters and election duty personnel.

Accusing BJP of distributing money ahead of Assembly polls, Bahujan Vikas Aghadi leader Hitendra Thakur says, "A senior BJP leader gave me information that money will be distributed. They should keep in mind 'baatenge toh pitenge'. I have no hope from the Police and Election Commission for taking action. Police and Administration asked me to help Vinod Tawde to leave from here as his car had broken down.."

Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray on Tuesday took a "note jihad" jibe amid allegations of a senior BJP leader distributing money hours before voting for the Maharashtra assembly elections begins.

BJP general secretary Vinod Tawde has been accused of distributing cash to voters in Palghar by regional outfit Bahujan Vikas Aghadi (BVA), an allegation denied by Tawde and the BJP.

With just a day for the Maharashtra elections, Nashik District Magistrate, Jalaj Sharma, assured that all preparations for the polls are in place, with a focus on ensuring a smooth and secure voting process.

Sharma also highlighted that the concerned Returning Officers (ROs) have coordinated additional security measures for identified sensitive areas.

Additionally, DM Sharma said that strict instructions have been given to the electricity department to ensure an uninterrupted power supply during the election process.

More than 30,000 police personal have been deployed on security duty in Mumbai for the Maharashtra assembly elections to be held on Wednesday, officials said.

Elaborate arrangements have been made to maintain law and order and ensure smooth conduct of the elections, a police official said on Tuesday.

Five additional commissioners of police, 20 deputy commissioners of police, 83 assistant commissioners of police, more than 2,000 other police officers and 25,000 personnel have been deployed, he said.

The authorities in Pune have made elaborate arrangements for the smooth conduct of the November 20 Maharashtra assembly elections across all 21 constituencies in the district, officials said. There are 88,49,590 registered voters in the district. A total of 8,462 polling stations have been set up, they said.

Bharatiya Janata Party National General Secretary Vinod Tawde on Tuesday said that he dismissed the charge levelled by Bahujan Vikas Aghadi (BVA) that the BJP was "distributing money" ahead of the upcoming Maharashtra assembly elections.

"A meeting of MLAs of Nalasopara was underway. I went there to tell them about the Model Code of Conduct for the day of voting, how will voting machines be sealed and how to go about if an objection has to be made. The workers of the party (Bahujan Vikas Aghadi), Appa Thakur and Kshitij thought that we were distributing money. Let the Election Commission and Police inquire, let them get CCTV footage. I have been in the party for 40 years. Appa Thakur and Kshitij know me, and the entire party knows me. Still, I believe that the Election Commission should conduct an impartial investigation," Tawde said.

The BJP is contesting the November 20 elections in 149 seats, Shiv Sena is in the fray in 81 seats, and the Ajit Pawar-led NCP has fielded candidates in 59 constituencies. The Congress has fielded 101 candidates, Shiv Sena (UBT) 95, and NCP (SP) has put up 86 candidates.

The battleground is all set for the November 20 elections for the 288-member Maharashtra Assembly. The counting of votes is scheduled to take place on Saturday, November 23. See how to check your name on voters' list online here.

The three Senas - Shiv Sena, Shiv Sena (UBT) and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena- are set to clash at Magathane, a sub-locality of Borivali East. The issues here largely pertain to encroachments inside the Sanjay Gandhi National Park, rehabilitation of slums and poor water supply. Read full story here

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) launched a social media campaign as part of it's efforts to connect with voters overseas and ran a campaign from November 4-17.

The social media campaign was run on social media, a crucial arena for political campaigns keeping in view crores of active internet users.

Called the "Durdarshi Sarkar Maharashtra Cha Adhikar Punha Ekda BJP Sarkar," the BJP's social media campaign was run with the help of Maharashtra global community.

In an attempt to boost voter turnout in Thane district, a one-click facility has been introduced for the November 20 Maharashtra assembly elections wherein voters only have to scan QR codes to find out about polling stations.

Ahead of the Maharashtra assembly elections, a poll flying squad has conducted a search at an automobiles showroom belonging to NCP (SP) candidate Yugendra Pawar's father in Baramati town, officials said on Tuesday.

The 'Sharayu Motors' outlet of Yugendra Pawar's father Shrinivas Pawar was searched late Monday night but nothing suspicious was found, they said.

Maharashtra, the country's richest state, is gearing up for a political showdown on Wednesday, November 19, to elect a new 288-member House. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Congress are competing for the title of the largest party, while their respective allies — Shiv Sena, Shiv Sena (UBT), Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), and NCP (SP) — are focused on securing their political footing. Read about the 5 battles to watch out for

The voter count in Mumbai has crossed the one crore mark, up from 98.95 lakh during the Lok Sabha polls held earlier this year, a civic official said.

At the time of the Lok Sabha polls, Mumbai had 98,95,602 eligible voters, including 25,16,667 in the island city and 74,64,974 in the suburban district, as per EC data.

Ahead of voting, an amount of ₹1.98 crores was seized from a hotel in Nashik. Nashik District Magistrate Jalaj Sharma said "As per the information received so far, ₹1.98 Crores have been seized from there. Expenditure Observer and team are taking further action..."

Mumbai Police Commissioner Vivek Phansalkar has appealed to people in the metropolis to keep aside their leave plans and vote in the Maharashtra assembly elections scheduled on Wednesday. Voting will be held from 7 am to 6 pm on Wednesday.