Voting percentage in Mumbai may touch 50, highest in a decade in civic elections. But other corporations in state do even better.
MUMBAI: The voter turnout for the civic elections held on Thursday — which were heralded by extravagant hype and punditry not seen in years — belied the overheated campaign of political parties.
According to preliminary estimates of the State Election Commission, the voting percentage in Mumbai may come close to 50. While this is a considerable improvement over the turnout in 2002 (43.25 per cent) and is the highest in at least a decade in city elections, it is strikingly lower than the rise in the polling percentage in nine other municipal corporations in the state that went to the polls.
In fact, adjoining Thane registered a rise of 16 per cent (from 43.13 in 2002 to 60 this time). Nagpur, the state’s second capital, recorded a rise of about 11 per cent (from 49.07 to 60). The rise in polling percentage in seven other municipal corporations - Ulhasnagar, Pune, Pimpri-Chinchwad, Solapur, Nashik, Akola, and Amravati - was between five and seven per cent.
As for Mumbai, this election produced some curious aberrations. In some parts of the city such as Colaba, where the voter turnout is usually extremely low, polling figures recorded a spectacular spike this time, hitting 35.21 per cent. In 2002, the turnout in the area was less than 15 per cent. Similar remarkable rise was recorded in Juhu, Bandra, and Andheri, which are traditionally low-turnout zones.
Many Mumbai notables who cast their votes on Thursday said memory of the 26/7 deluge had spurred them to exercise their franchise. Those in the areas devastated by the floods were expected to demonstrate similar civic responsibility - but the voter participation gave the lie to such expectations.
Some observers, citing the enthusiasm caused by the entry of a new player, had predicted that Raj Thackeray’s Maharashtra Navnirman Sena would trigger a surge in the turnout. That outcome, however, was not obtained at the polling booths.
Which party will benefit from Mumbai’s modest voter turnout will be known by afternoon today. Announcement of the results will commence from 10am, and the shape of the BMC’s new membership is likely to be known by 3pm.
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