Mumbai: Polling began on Thursday morning for the Mumbai municipal body Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s (BMC) elections. No poll day can be without hiccups and Mumbai was no different.
The city’s first citizen, Governor S M Krishna's name was not in the voter’s list while electronic voting machines (EVMs) in some Chembur booths stopped functioning. Incidentally, this is the first time that EVMs will be used for the civic elections in Mumbai.
In Ulhasnagar, polling was suspended after 27 NCP workers stormed polling booths and destroyed EVMs.
But on the whole, Mumbai has witnessed a peaceful and organised polling schedule. At least one policeman has been stationed in each of the 6,951 polling booths across the city while one police inspector will be looking after each of the 227 wards.
Companies of the Riot Control Police and the State Reserve Police Force requisitioned by city police have been stationed at strategic locations. Senior police officials, including, DCPs, Additional Commissioners and Joint Commissioners are also overseeing the polling process.
Unlike Lok Sabha and Assembly elections, voter turn out has remained low in civic elections in Mumbai till now. During the last elections to BMC, despite the polling day was on a Sunday voting percentage was barely around 42 per cent.
Meanwhile, Shiv sena leader Manohar Joshi says a large voter turnout would go in favour of the Sena-BJP alliance.
“If the polling percentage is good then I personally think, though it has no scientific basis, it will be beneficial to Shiv Sena. It is a cadre-based party. Most of our workers are going from door to door to bring out voters and therefore the voter percentage is expected to rise this time,” says Joshi confidently.
But Congress is on a warpath and is out to prove that the Sena-BJP alliance was a failure.
“The Shiv Sena and BJP managed to get votes, majority and confidence last time but soon dashed the hopes of the citizens of Mumbai,” says Mumbai regional Congress Committee President Gurudas Kamath.
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