48 per cent polling in Mumbai

Mumbai, Feb 1 (UNI) An estimated 48 per cent voting was reported in today's polling with the graph showing an upward trend for 227 seats after downslide in the last consecutive elections.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) Commissioner Johny Joseph said an estimated 48 per cent polling was reported for 227 seats. However, final figure would be available at 2230 hours.

The fate of 2,376 candidates in the multi-cornered elections for the 227 wards of BMC was sealed in the EVM (Electronic Voting Machines) at 1730 hours. Decision on their fate would be made after counting begins tomorrow morning.

He said barring few sporadic incidents in the day, the polling was peacefull in the city. In Mumbai the voter's strength is 83,88,460.

The polling percentage has gone up by nearly four to five per cent compared to the previous civic election in 2002 42.05 per cent. In the year 1997, it was 44.36 per cent and in the year 1992 polling percentage was 49.14 per cent.

UNI