BJP MP Poonam Mahajan, Congress nominee Urmila Matondkar, industrialist Anil Ambani and actors Rekha and Priyanka Chopra were among the early voters in Mumbai on Monday during the fourth and final phase of Lok Sabha polls in Maharashtra.
Polling began at 7 am across 17 Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra where 3.11 crore voters are eligible to exercise their democratic right. Among them are the 6 seats in Mumbai.
In the 2014 polls, the city had seen 52.6% total turnout across these seats, the highest in 25 years.
Polling percentage in Mumbai’s 6 seats till 7 pm (2014 turnout in brackets):
Mumbai North - 57.76% (52%)
Mumbai North West - 53.53% (60%)
Mumbai North East - 55.35% (53%)
Mumbai North Central - 50.35% (55%)
Mumbai South Central - 53.49% (55%)
Mumbai South - 50.17% (54%)
Mumbai has some very high-profile voters:
Polling was held in Nandurbar, Dhule, Dindori, Nashik (North Maharashtra), Palghar, Bhiwandi, Kalyan, Thane, Mumbai-North, Mumbai-North West, Mumbai-North Central, Mumbai-North East, Mumbai-South and Mumbai-South Central in the Mumbai region, Maval and Shirur in Pune district, and Shirdi in Ahmednagar district.
In Mumbai, saffron allies BJP and Shiv Sena are contesting three seats each out of total six.
The Congress nominees are in the fray in five of these seats while the NCP has fielded its candidate in one seat.
Maharashtra sends 48 MPs to Lok Sabha, the second highest after Uttar Pradesh which has 80 parliamentary seats.
Polling for the previous three phases in Maharashtra was held on April 11 (seven seats), April 18 (10 seats) and April 23 (14 seats).
Union minister Subhash Bhamre (contesting from Dhule), and Congress leaders Milind Deora (Mumbai-South) and Matondkar (Mumbai-North) are among the key candidates in the state.
Deora is pitted against sitting Shiv Sena MP Arvind Sawant while Matondkar is taking on BJP MM Gopal Shetty.
The prominent candidates also include Congress’ Priya Dutt from Mumbai-North Central and NCP chief Sharad Pawar’s grandnephew Parth Pawar from Maval seat.
In Mumbai-North East seat, where sitting BJP MP Kirit Somaiya has been denied a ticket, the main contest is between the party nominee Manoj Kotak and NCP’s Sanjay Dina Patil.
(With PTI inputs)