Mumbai Metro Extends Hours For Maharashtra Assembly Election 2024: Extra Trips To Aid Voters; Details Inside

On Wednesday, November 20, Mumbai Metro Line 3 will operate for extended hours to assist voters and election staff during the Maharashtra Assembly elections. The Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation (MMRC) made the announcement via a post on X (formerly known as Twitter).

The extended service will begin at 4:00 AM on Election Day and continue until 1:00 AM on Thursday, November 21. To meet increased demand, 20 additional trips will be added throughout the day, ensuring smooth travel for commuters, especially those on duty for the elections. MMRC has urged passengers to plan their travel accordingly to ensure they can vote and avoid any last-minute delays.

In addition to the Metro services, over 30,000 police officers have been deployed across Mumbai to ensure security during the elections. The Mumbai Police have set up a comprehensive security plan, involving five additional commissioners of police, 20 deputy commissioners, and 83 assistant commissioners. More than 25,000 other officers and personnel have also been stationed for various duties. Riot control teams, consisting of three platoons, have been placed on standby to maintain law and order.

The traffic department has arranged for 144 officers and over 1,000 personnel to manage road safety and ensure smooth movement during the elections. Additionally, more than 4,000 Home Guards have been deployed across critical areas of the city.

Since the model code of conduct came into effect on October 15, authorities have seized goods valued at nearly Rs 175 crore, including cash, precious metals, and narcotics. Preventive actions have also been taken against over 4,400 individuals to ensure a fair and peaceful election.

Over 9.7 crore voters will decide the fate of 4,136 candidates. Voters will determine whether the Eknath Shinde-led Mahayuti alliance will continue its rule or if the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) will make a comeback.

In the ruling Mahayuti alliance, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is contesting 149 seats, Shiv Sena has candidates in 81 constituencies, and the Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) is fielding candidates in 59 constituencies. On the other side, the opposition MVA alliance has the Congress contesting 101 seats, Shiv Sena (UBT) in 95 constituencies, and the NCP (SP) in 86 constituencies. The election results will be announced on Saturday, November 23.