Maharastra Polls 2019: Low voter turnout recorded in first 3 hours

Mumbai, Oct 21: Maharashtra witnessed a low turnout of voters on Monday as around 5.79 per cent voter turnout till 10 am for the polls to the 288 Assembly seats.

The tribal areas of Thane, Palghar and Nandurbar recorded over 6 per cent voter turnout and in most other parts of the state, while the urban areas, it was around 5 per cent.

In Mumbai Island city it was 5.14 per cent while Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis'' hometown Nagpur was at 2.04 per cent till 9 a.m.

During the Lok Sabha elections, less than five months ago, Maharashtra recorded a 55.23 per cent voter turnout with Mumbai clocking 57.32 per cent.

In 2014 state elections, Maharashtra registered a voter turn out of 63.38 per cent and 51.21 per cent in Mumbai.

In the wake of low voter turnout, Celebrities, political leaders appealed to people to step out and take part in the voting.

Meanwhile, some areas in south Konkan Maharashtra, western and south-central parts, and Latur and Osmanabad districts in Marathwada region witnessed drizzle early morning, an official from the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.

As voting began at 7 am, Mumbai and its suburbs saw overcast sky after drizzle for the last two days.

The IMD has predicted thunderstorm with lightning and gusty winds at isolated places in Raigad, Ratnagiri, Sindhudurg, Pune, Kolhapur, Satara, Sangli, Solapur, Beed and Osmanabad districts on Monday.

The state has 8.98 crore eligible voters to decide the fate of 3,237 candidates in fray from 288 seats.