Mumbai gets inked: Low voter turnout, ‘slow pace’ of voting

The constituency registered a voter turnout of 51.87 per cent at the end of the day which was the fourth highest of all the six constituencies in Mumbai. While voting was largely smooth, there were some hitches with complaints of non-functioning EVMs and absence of services at polling booths.

Around 1 pm outside Omega Primary School in Bhandup, an eight-month pregnant Shaheen Naik anxiously waited in the crowded narrow entrance to enter the polling centre and cast her vote. Many voters alleged a power outage of over an hour, prompting a rush to the school upon restoration.

Manoj Singh, a Khindi Pada resident, stated, “Voters were arriving since morning, but around noon, a sudden power cut dispersed them due to the heat.” Another voter noted, “Officials used mobile phone torches due to darkness, prolonging the process. Locals returned en masse once power was restored.”

Malfunctioning EVMs in Mankhurd and Mulund complicated the issues in the North East constituency. Voting at Mulund’s booth number 126 halted due to an EVM glitch. An official clarified, “Initial battery issues were rectified and voting resumed.” Booth 63 in Chikhalwadi, Shivaji Nagar, faced a one-and-a-half-hour delay due to VVPAT machine issues, with only 246 out of 758 voters casting their votes.

In Powai’s Hiranandani, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aadesh Ban-dekar complained of stalled EVMs at booths 57 and 58, and shared it on social media. “Machinery failure caused a two-hour wait, the elderly left due to unaddressed concerns,” Bandekar said.

A 72-year-old woman, despite receiving amenities, waited for hours due to EVM malfunctions. “Feeling unwell, I requested to vote,” she said.

Mumbai North

The Mumbai North constituency, witnessing a battle between Union Minister Piyush Goyal and local Congress leader Bhushan Patil, recorded a 55.21 per cent voter turnout at the end of the day, the highest in Mumbai.

The highest voter turnout was in Charkop at 51.9 per cent, followed by Borivali at 50.5per cent, Dahisar at 50.37per cent, Malad West at 44.42per cent, and Magathane at 43.2per cent and Kandivali East with 40.89 per cent voter turnout as of 5 pm.

At Borivali ITI, a waiting lobby accommodated voters, reducing waiting time. Voter Mukesh Sangle (48) praised the efficient process, taking only five minutes.

Another voter, Aradhana Singh, noted longer queues in the morning, returning later with her elderly mother. Some booths experienced temporary slowdowns. Avinash Palkar (45) waited nearly an hour to vote due to overcrowding. Student volunteers aided paperwork, and separate queues were designated for seniors. CSR Garden in Kandivali facilitated voting for seniors and the disabled.

Many attributed low turnout to hot weather and the long weekend. Some voters cited lack of competition for Goyal as a reason for apathy. Mukesh Patel (54) predicted Goyal’s victory, discouraging some from voting.

Mumbai North Central

The North Central seat, having over 17 lakh voters and 27 candidates, recorded 51.42 per cent turnout . In 2019, the constituency outdid its 2014 turnout of 48.67 per cent with a polling percentage of over 53 per cent.

According to the Election Commission, at the end of the day, Vile Parle saw the highest turnout at 56.01%, followed by Bandra (East) at 51.85 %, Kalina at 51. 58 %, Bandra (West) at 51.53 %, 50.02 % in Kurla, while Chandivali recorded a turnout of 49.03%.

Prominent figures such as Bollywood actors Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan, Aamir Khan, Sanjay Dutt, cricketer Sachin Tendulkar, and veteran lyricist Gulzar, as well as Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray and his family, cast their votes in Bandra (West) and Bandra (East).

To assist voters, some housing societies arranged transportation for senior citizens and disabled individuals, though some polling centres lacked amenities like wheelchairs and seating arrangements for seniors. Election officials at some centres distributed water bottles to voters waiting in long queues due to the rising temperatures.

Arun Pradhan, a senior citizen in Vile Parle, expressed disappointment, stating, “I have been voting at this centre for several decades. They should have provided better facilities for senior citizens and expedited the voting process.”

In areas like Vile Parle, Bandra and Santacruz, both first-time voters and senior citizens turned out in large numbers. A 20-year-old voter from Santacruz (East) said, “It is a new experience for me, and I feel responsible to vote for the nation’s development. Although we had to wait nearly 2.5 hours, the longest time without our mobile phones, which were not allowed inside, the waiting time should be reduced in future elections.”

Mumbai North West

In Mumbai North West the final voter turnout reached 53.67 per cent at the end of the day. The constituency spans Andheri, Goregaon and Jogeshwari where voting proceeded smoothly, marred only by sporadic incidents of political party workers engaging in disputes over alleged voter influence. Some polling booths faced challenges as citizens struggled to find their names on rolls, resulting in some being unable to cast their votes.

At Oshiwara polling station, BJP and Shiv Sena UBT workers clashed when Sena workers accused BJP leaders, including MLA Bharti Lavekar and party leader Divya Dhole of attempting to sway voters. Police intervened, directing both sides to leave the premises. Dhole refuted the claims, asserting they were assisting voters with name discrepancies and challenged accusers to provide evidence.

At Marol Education Academy in Andheri (east), voters without polling slips encountered difficulty as overwhelmed polling agents grappled with assisting voters amid crowds.

Clyde Miranda, voting at DN Nagar Marathi Medium Civic School in Andheri (west), reported a smooth process with minimal wait time. While mobile phones were restricted at some booths, enforcement varied, causing discomfort for solo voters.

Mumbai South

Mumbai South continued its trend of low voter turnout, with only 47.70 per cent. Voters faced various challenges, including confusion over address updates, missing names on the voter’s list, and long commutes. Senior citizens, though accommodated in queues, lacked separate lines for convenience. Outside R C Church polling station, a frustrated voter lamented being unable to vote due to her name being deleted from the list. Padmamohan T, a long-time voter, shared a smooth experience despite shifting residences. However, many faced hurdles like deceased family members’ names still on the list.

Bina Bhatia, a voter from Cumballa Hill, highlighted discrepancies in the electoral list, forcing many to miss voting. Senior citizens like Vishnu Kanhere criticised the absence of dedicated queues, despite requests to polling officials. “There was a single queue and no separate queues were kept for senior citizens. When we approached the polling officials to do something about it, they told us that they didn’t have resources for the same. We kept asking them to do something, but ultimately they didn’t resolve this issue,” he said.

Besides this, problems posed by long-distance travel further reduced voter participation. Many residing in suburban areas such as Kalyan and Virar had to travel all the way to Colaba, where their voter IDs were originally registered. The inconvenience of travelling long distance deterred many from voting.

Mumbai South Central

The constituency witnessed a showdown between the two factions of Shiv Sena. The voter turnout stood at 51.88 per cent, ranking third among the six Mumbai constituencies.

From the working class to the affluent, citizens flocked to polling booths to elect between Anil Desai of Shiv Sena (UBT) and incumbent MP Rahul Shewale. Despite dedicated party booths and campaign materials, voters encountered difficulties. In areas like Dadar, Wadala and Matunga, residents grappled with shifting residences due to redevelopment, struggling to locate their designated booths. Jaidev Pani, a 50-year-old Matunga resident, faced challenges finding his polling station in Wadala. Similar issues arose for residents of Agrawal residency, currently under redevelopment, adding to confusion.

In Dharavi, residents wandered between polling stations in search of their names, exemplified by the Kunchikorve couple’s plight. Samar Bahadur Singh, a transport provider, and his wife Rani were surprised to learn they had to vote in separate locations despite sharing an address. This departure from tradition, observed Ataul Khan, a social activist, led to families being split across different booths.

The shift to closed spaces for polling booths, unlike open grounds used previously, contributed to the confusion. This change, combined with out-dated voter IDs and errors in registration slips, exacerbated the challenge of locating polling stations.