Polling in 13 Lok Sabha constituencies of Maharashtra, encompassing six in Mumbai, is scheduled for Monday, marking the fifth and concluding phase of the general elections in the state. Over 24.6 million eligible voters will cast their ballots, determining the fates of 264 candidates across constituencies including Mumbai North, Mumbai North Central, Mumbai North West, Mumbai North East, Mumbai South Central, Mumbai South, Thane, Kalyan, Bhiwandi, Palghar, Nashik, Dindori, and Dhule.
Prominent figures such as Union Ministers Piyush Goyal (Mumbai North), Bharati Pawar (Dindori), and Kapil Patil (Bhiwandi) are notable candidates from the BJP, which also fields lawyer Ujjwal Nikam in Mumbai North Central. The Shiv Sena has put forth Shrikant Shinde in Kalyan, while Mumbai Congress chief Varsha Gaikwad contests Mumbai North Central.
The voting process will span from 7 AM to 6 PM across 24,553 polling stations. The primary competition is between the ruling Mahayuti alliance, consisting of Shiv Sena, BJP, and Nationalist Congress Party, and the opposition coalition of Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray), Congress, and Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar).
Mumbai, Thane, and Palghar, which encompass ten of these thirteen constituencies, form a significant part of the highly urbanized Mumbai Metropolitan Region. Altogether, 24,669,544 individuals are eligible voters, including 13,138,526 men, 11,528,278 women, and 2,740 from the third gender.
The Shiv Sena, led by Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, is fielding candidates in Mumbai South, Mumbai North West, and Mumbai South Central. The ruling BJP is contesting in Mumbai North, Mumbai North Central, and Mumbai North East. The opposition Shiv Sena (UBT), under the leadership of former Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, has candidates in Mumbai South, Mumbai South Central, Mumbai North East, and Mumbai North West, aligning with its Maha Vikas Aghadi allies, NCP (SP), and Congress.
Congress candidates are competing in Mumbai North Central and Mumbai North. Thane and Kalyan, where rival Senas are vying for supremacy, represent prestige battles for Chief Minister Shinde, falling within his political influence.
Chief Minister Shinde’s close confidant Naresh Mhaske and his son Shrikant Shinde are Shiv Sena candidates in Thane and Kalyan, respectively. The contest pits BJP against Sena (UBT) in Palghar, while BJP and NCP (SP) are the primary contenders in the industrial hub of Bhiwandi.
Dhule witnesses a showdown between BJP and Congress. In Dindori, BJP contends with Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP), while CM Shinde’s Shiv Sena faces off with Thackeray’s Shiv Sena (UBT) in Nashik. Mumbai police will deploy approximately 30,000 security personnel to ensure smooth voting, officials stated earlier. At least 2,752 officers and 27,460 other personnel, including units from the riot control police, will be on duty on election day in the metropolis, they indicated.
Five officers at the rank of Additional Commissioner of Police, 25 Deputy Commissioners of Police (DCPs), and 77 Assistant Commissioners of Police (ACPs) will head various teams during the bandobast, an official mentioned. Nearly 5,000 policemen, 6,200 home guards, and 36 units of the Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) will also be brought in from outside for the voting day, he added. Out of the total 48 Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra, polling in 35 seats occurred in four phases on April 19, April 26, May 7, and May 13. Votes will be tallied on June 4.