Maharashtra civic body polls: As it happened

56 percent voters exercised franchise across ten municipal corporations in Maharashtra, including the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation which recorded a 55 percent turn-out, state election commission officials said, as per PTI.

69% voter turn-out for 11 ZillaParishads and 118 PanchayatSamiti polls in Maharashtra: Election officials.

55% voting recorded for BMCpolls, eclipsing the last poll percentage by almost 10%: Election officials.

In Mumbai, the polling percentage reached 41.32 percent till 3.30 pm.

The voter turn-out for Zilla Parishads in Maharashtra was 48.25 percent till 3.30 pm.

About 42.80 percent voters today exercised their franchise in the first eight hours - till 3.30 in the afternoon - of polling for 10 municipal corporations across Maharashtra, as per PTI.

Thank you #Mumbai for the record voting percentage & people from all Municipal Corporations & ZP for participating in festival of democracy!

— Devendra Fadnavis (@Dev_Fadnavis) February 21, 2017

Residents of three out of 19 buildings of MIG Colony in Mumbai`s East Bandra, summing up to at least 100 voters, did not find their names on the list. They, reportedly, voted in the previous elections, but this year, their names were missing from the list. The Polling Officer told the voters they need to lodge a complaint in this regard.

Voter turnout was 32.10 percent till 1.30 pm in BMC polls.

"I voted ...!!! Did you ....??," tweets actress Juhi Chawla.

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A bridegroom, Mahesh Nawale, casts his vote before marriage at Navbharat Vidyalaya in Parel, Mumbai.

Late Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray's daughter-in-law Smita Thackeray embarrasses the party, tells India Today: "Problems have remained unresolved for years. I myself had to face problems, in spite of being from the family."

Mumbai records 16.40% voter turnout till 11.30 am. Pimpri-Chinchwad city reports 20.73% voter turnout till 11.30 am, Pune 19.5%, Thane—19.11%, Solapur city—18%, Solapur district—24%.

Nagpur reports 16% polling till 11.30 am.

Shiv Sena's Sanjay Raut arrives to cast his vote at a polling booth in Bhandup East, Mumbai.

Sachin Tendulkar and his wife arrive to cast their votes at a polling booth in Mumbai.

Actor Varun Dhawan arrives to cast his vote at a polling booth in Bandra, says "upsetting that I couldn't find my name on the voter list". "My name has not shown up on the list, unfortunately. It`s bizarre because I voted last year. I will find out from EC where is my name," Dhawan tells reporters.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis casts his ballot, urges people to vote to bring about change.

Shiv Sena Chief Uddhav Thackeray, accompanied by his wife and son, queues up at a polling booth in Mumbai's Bandra East. 

Actor Shreyas Talpade tweets: "DeVOTE some time Mumbai...for a better future. This time let's make them answerable."

By 10 am, Mumbai notched around 10 percent balloting from the 9.20 million strong electorate. 
 

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Around 8.33 percent voting was recorded in the first two hours of polling across 10 municipal corporations in Maharashtra. 

Former chief minister Manohar Joshi, also a senior Shiv Sena leader , casts his vote at a polling booth in Shivaji Park.

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Bollywood actor Shraddha Kapoor tweets: "Done voting. Please exercise your right & go vote!"

Senior Congress leader and former home minister Sushilkumar Shinde casts his vote for civic body polls in Solapur.

Bollywood's livewire actor Ranveer Singh exercises his franchise and urges people to vote.

On reports that her name was missing in the voter's list, Shaina NC clarifies on Twitter: "Not true friends ,I did vote. They could not find my name as there was an error in the printed list, however authorities were helpful."

Film director and screenwriter Zoya Akhtar casts her vote at a polling booth in Bandra.

Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray casts his vote.

BJP leader Shaina NC's urge on Twitter: "Cycle to vote , walk to vote, but VOTE"

Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari casts his vote for Nagpur Municipal Corporation polls, at a booth located in Nagpur's Town Hall.

Speaking to the media after casting his vote, Gadkari urges voters to choose deserving and meritorious candidates keeping aside caste, creed and religious considerations.

The minister hopes that this time the voting percentage will go up to 70.

BJP leader Shaina NC arrives to cast her vote at Nepean Sea Road polling booth on a cycle. She, however, could not find her name in the voter's list. 

BJP MP Poonam Mahajan tweets: "This is democracy in full bloom! It is not just your right but your responsibility. I cast my vote. Have you?"

Maharashtra Education Minister Vinod Tawde casts his vote and urges Mumbaikars to do the same. "Mumbaikars, strengthen the roots of democracy and cast your votes for the city we call home. Make each vote count! #MumbaikarVoteKar," tweets Tawde.

The Bharatiya Janata Party exudes the confidence of securing a majority in BMC polls. "This time the BJP will definitely get a majority, the people are with us and we have a commitment to the people. I am sure that under the leadership of Devendra Fadnavis, the BJP will get a majority and Narendra Modi`s developmental model will be replicated in Mumbai," BJP leader Kirit Somaiya tells news agency ANI.

Mumbai BJP president Ashish Shelar casts his vote, tells reporters that glitches like delay in release of voters' list might have an impact on the poll results.

Mumbai: Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar​ casts his vote at polling booth no 214(11) located in Mahalaxmi (West). Revathi, the daughter of Pawar's daughter Supriya Sule, accompanies her grandfather to the voting booth.

Municipal Commissioner of Mumbai Ajoy Mehta casts his vote at polling booth number 214 (18), located at Mumbai's Pedder Road.

Veteran actress Rekha casts her vote in Bandra, Mumbai.

Housing Development Finance Corporation (HDFC) chairman Deepak Parekh casts his vote, says demonetisation has nothing to do with these polls and we need to move on.

Bollywood actress Anushka Sharma casts her vote and tweets: "Started my morning by casting my vote.Voting  is our duty towards our country & its progress.Pls go out&vote"

Tina Munim Ambani casts her vote at a polling booth in Colaba, says she voted for good work in Mumbai city.

A total of 43,160 polling booths have been set up across the state which will be manned by around 2.76 lakh officials.
 

For the 151-member Nagpur civic corporation, there are 1,135 candidates in fray, while for the 162 seats of Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), a total 1,090 candidates are contesting the election.

Similarly, for the 122-member Nashik Municipal Corporation (NMC), there are 821 candidates in the fray, whereas for the 80-member Akola Municipal Corporation (AMC), 579 candidates are fighting the election.

805 candidates are contesting polls for the 131-member Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC), 479 for the 78-member Ulhasnagar Municipal Corporation (UMC), 774 for the 128 seats in Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) and 623 are in the fray for the 102-member Solapur Municipal Corporation (SMP). 

Besides Mumbai, the other municipal corporations going to polls today include Thane, Ulhasnagar, Pune, Nashik, Nagpur, Akola, Pimpri-Chinchwad and Solapur.

The big poll focus is on Brihanmumbai Municipal Cooperation (BMC), retaining control of which is vital for Shiv Sena as the city has remained its prime political space ever since the party's formation in 1966. Shiv Sena has been in power in BMC for over two decades.

Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat casts his vote at Bharat Mahila Vidyalaya for Nagpur Municipal Corporation elections.

In municipal corporations excluding Mumbai, there are multi-member wards, where a voter will have to cast his vote for each of the category in the panel. Each panel has more than two wards.

In Mumbai, the country's financial capital, total 2,275 candidates are in fray for the 227 seats. 92 lakh people are eligible to cast the vote in the megapolis. There will be 7,304 polling stations.

A total of 3.77 crore voters shall decide the fate of 17,331 candidates for 5,512 seats up for grabs, including 1,268 in 10 municipal corporations, 2,956 in 11 Zilla Parishads and 1,288 seats in 118 Panchayat Samitis.

Congress, NCP and MNS are also in the fray.

Elections to the cash-rich BMC and nine other civic bodies in Maharashtra have virtually turned into a battle of prestige for Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, heading the state's first BJP-led government, and Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray.

Voting in elections to BMC and nine other civic bodies in multiple cities of Maharashtra begins.

A total of 10 major civic bodies, including the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation and of Thane, Pune and Nashik, plus 11 Zilla Parishads and 118 Panchayat Samitis shall vote today.

The stage is set for the second phase of elections to civic bodies in Maharashtra on Tuesday in what has been dubbed a 'mini Assembly Election' and a referendum on Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.