Maharashtra sees over 58% voter turnout; 68% polling in second phase of Jharkhand polls

Voting ended for the high-stakes Maharashtra and Jharkhand Assembly elections on Wednesday and the results will now be declared on November 23.

The 288-member Maharashtra assembly went to polls in a single phase while Jharkhand saw a two-phase polling with 38 of the 81 seats going to polls on Wednesday. In the first phase, elections were held in 43 seats in the tribal-dominated state on November 13.

The voter turnout in Maharashtra stood at 58.22 per cent at 5 pm, according to election commission officials. Jharkhand, during the second phase of polling, recorded a 67.59 per cent turnout till 5 pm.

In Jharkhand, Jamtara recorded the highest turnout at 76.16 per cent, followed by Pakur with 75.88 per cent, and Deoghar with 72.46 per cent. The state capital, Ranchi, recorded a turnout of 72.01 per cent.

In Maharashtra, the elections are on knife-edge with the ruling Mahayuti alliance of BJP, Shiv Sena and NCP is vying to retain power, while the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi that comprises the Congress, NCP(SP) and Shiv Sena (UBT) hoping for a strong comeback.

It’s a prestige battle for the rival factions of both the NCP and the Shiv Sena as the state goes to assembly polls for the first time after their parties suffered a vertical split.

In the ruling alliance, the BJP has fielded candidates in 149 seats, Shiv Sena in 81 and NCP in 59. In the MVA combine, he Congress has fielded 101 candidates, Shiv Sena (UBT) 95, and NCP (SP) has put up 86 candidates.

Other smaller parties, including the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and the All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul-Muslimeen (AIMIM), are also in the fray.

In Jharkhand, the fight is largely between the ruling JMM-Congress alliance and the opposition NDA led by BJP.