18:30: The voter turnout in Maharashtra was 54.5 per cent till 1700 hours and it can go up to 62 per cent, says the Election Commission.
17.18 Nearly 65 per cent turnout in Haryana till 4.30 p.m. Thirty-two people have been injured in poll violence
Maharashtra braces for an epic poll battle. With a riveting and unprecedented five-way contest, even Mumbai’s bookies are hedging their bets. The splintering of long-standing political alliances, just three weeks before the polls, set the stage for an election which could dramatically alter the State’s political map.
| States | 
No. of Voters (Men) |
No. of Voters (Women) |
No. of Polling Stations |
Voter Turnout |
| Maharashtra | 4,40,26,401 | 3,93,63,011 | 90403 | 62% |
| Haryana | 8,737,116 | 7,479,439 | 16244 | 73% |
Women voters interacting with poll officials at Gurgaon. Photo: Shivkumar Pushpakar
In Haryana. three major parties — the Congress, the BJP and the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) — seem to be locked in a neck-and-neck race.
Maharashtra registered an over 40 per cent voter turnout while over 50 per cent voting was held in Haryana, which witnessed stray incidents of violence, in the first eight hours of polling on Wednesday in the riveting contest to elect assemblies in the two states.
3:23 pm Mumbai votes only 28.36% till 1pm.
3:21 pm Mumbai twitteratti vent out their anger over low turnout in Mumbai.
Mumbaikars tweet their anguish over the low voter turnout for the >#MaharashtraElections>#Mumbai>#GetInked>pic.twitter.com/s60cqGKmZo
— Mumbai Connect (@Mumbai_Connect) >October 15, 2014
3:14 pm
Politicians too are taking to twitter to post inked pics! >@milinddeora>@supriya_sule>@TawdeVinod>@poonam_mahajan>pic.twitter.com/CIvNMp1q35
— Mumbai Connect (@Mumbai_Connect) >October 15, 2014
3:13 pm
Celebs post >#selfies on twitter after casting their vote >@juniorbachchan>@mandybedi>@GOLDIEBEHL>@Riteishd>pic.twitter.com/Lpu4Ei3Qfv
— Mumbai Connect (@Mumbai_Connect) >October 15, 2014
3: 10 pm Despite a disappointing turnout in Mumbai, voters battled the blistering October heat to exercise their franchise in large numbers in Pune district and other parts of Western Maharashtra.
At 69.27 lakh voters, the district has the highest number of voters in the State who will decide the fate of 308 candidates in 21 Assembly segments.
2:47 pm: Kolhapur, Sangli and Satara in the State’s sugar belt records poll per cent figures of 32, 38 and 34 respectively.
2 pm: Maharashtra Congress' key candidate Patangrao Kadam's constituency Palus records highest voter turnout of 49.54% till 1pm.
1:44 pm:
Untimely rains may affect voting % in >#Vidarbha . Very few districts record double digit voting % till afternoon, reports >@pavan2388
— Mumbai Connect (@Mumbai_Connect) >October 15, 2014
1:32 pm:
I have voted, am sure you have too !! >pic.twitter.com/bpIMhvG4Pm
— sachin tendulkar (@sachin_rt) >October 15, 2014
1:28 pm: Congress will win despite anti-incumbency, says former Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan. >Read here
1:15 pm:
Maharashtra poll % at 11 AM is 18.73% >@the_hindu>@Mumbai_Connect>@TheHindu
— Alok Deshpande (@alokdesh) >October 15, 2014
12:43 pm: Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray expresses confidence that Sena will form government in Maharashtra.
"I am confident that Mumbai, Maharashtra will vote for those who have always been with the people in their moments of joy and sorrow," he says after voting with wife and son Aditya Thackeray.
12:36 pm:
>#MaharashtraElections : >#constituency Largest - Chinchwad in >#Pune with 4,84,080 votersSmallest - Wadala in >#Mumbai with 1,96,859 voters
— Mumbai Connect (@Mumbai_Connect) >October 15, 2014
12:13 pm:
Voters outside a polling station at Haryana. Shiv Kumar Pushpakar
12:11 pm: "Don't treat this as a public holiday. You can't complain against the government if you don't vote," says actor Kirron Kher.
12:05 pm:
Only 5.50% voting in Mumbai till 10AM >@the_hindu>@Mumbai_Connect
— Alok Deshpande (@alokdesh) >October 15, 2014
11:46 am: Polling in three segments in Gadchiroli under heavy security cover, amid a boycott call by Maoists. >Read here
11:41 am: Polling percentage in Haryana elections: Badshahpur 10.3 % in , Gurgaon 11.8% , Pataudi 11.4% and Sohna 9.3%
11:39 am:
Maharashtra will vote for national parties, and not for small, regional parties: Former CM Prithviraj Chavan >@vinivdvc>#MaharashtraElections
— Mumbai Connect (@Mumbai_Connect) >October 15, 2014
Despite achievements, >#Congress failed to aggressively project itself in Maharashtra, says >@milinddeora>#MaharashtraElections>@vinivdvc
— Mumbai Connect (@Mumbai_Connect) >October 15, 2014
11:35 am: Shiv Sena takes out advertisements on poll day.
“Ravana was not killed by hand (Congress symbol), a clock (NCP) or a flower (implying BJP’s Lotus). He was taken down by a bow and arrow.” >Read here.
Sachin Tendulkar and his wife Anjali display their inked fingers after casting votes in Mumbai.
11:33 am: Pankaja Munde, BJP leader and daughter of deceased leader Gopinath Munde, says the party tried its best to save alliance with the BJP. She expresses confidence that BJP will win complete majority in Maharashtra.
Former Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan says people will vote for a national party in the State, and will not prefer smaller, regional parties.
11 am: Union Minister Nitin Gadkari tells Shiv Sena that Narendra Modi is the youths' icon, leader of the nation, and that BJP won't tolerate his insult. "We have respected all parties. If someone does not respect us, they should at least not insult us."
10:54 am: The estimated polling percentage in some districts in Maharashtra: Aurangabad 10%, Beed 9%, Solapur 8%, Kolhapur 10%, Hingoli 8.5%, Osmanabad 9%, Nashik 7%, and Parbhani 7.5%
10:49 am:
Heavy rain lashes Vidarbha..dampans voters enthusiasm... >@Mumbai_Connect
— PAVAN DAHAT (@pavan2388) >October 15, 2014
10:43 am: I&B Minister Prakash Javadekar says it is time for change in Maharashtra. "If Lok Sabha was Dhoom, this is Dhoom 2," he says.
10:37 am: If a tea-seller can become the Prime Minister, then why can't a Thackeray become the Chief Minister if the people of the State decide?" asks Shiv Sena President Uddhav Thackeray. >Read here
10:28 am:
Ashok Chavan's hometown Nanded polls 11%, highest in state in first 2 hrs >@the_hindu>@Mumbai_Connect
— Alok Deshpande (@alokdesh) >October 15, 2014
10:19am: Voters queuing at Sangharsh Nagar in Powai, Mumbai.
10:08 am: Watch a live webcast of pollling from Naxal-impacted Gadchiroli district >here .
9:58 am: Former Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan casts his vote in Karad.
9:49 am: Lightning strikes at a polling booth in Vidarbha's Savner constituency. One dead and 6 injured, confirms our reporter Alok Deshpande.
9:47 am: Home Minister Rajnath Singh tweeted:
Urging the voters of Maharashtra & Haryana to go out and vote in large numbers. In democracy the votes bring change, so vote for change.
— Rajnath Singh (@BJPRajnathSingh) >October 15, 2014
9:44 am:
EVM breaks down in Mumbai's Sewri,rains in Vidarbha, no electricity in polling booth Shivtirthnagar in Pune >@the_hindu>@Mumbai_Connect
— Alok Deshpande (@alokdesh) >October 15, 2014
8:55 am: A day before the elections, BJP state president Devendra G. Fadnavis was supremely confident, said his party is all set to capture power in the state for the first time. >Read here>
8:50 am: Baramati MP Supriya Sule casts her vote. Ms. Sule is the daughter of NCP party chief Sharad Pawar.
>#Voting>#selfie>pic.twitter.com/9k1pmFOldH
— Supriya Sule (@supriya_sule) >October 15, 2014>#AjitDada casted his >#Vote RT " >@NCPspeaks : >#NCP leader Ajit Pawar performed his right to >#Vote . >pic.twitter.com/WEbyuVYxaP "
— Supriya Sule (@supriya_sule) >October 15, 2014
8:37 am: Polling briefly suspended at two polling stations in Nagpur and one in Nashik owing to a technical glitch. The details are not yet known.
8:33 am: Brisk polling in Maharashtra
Among the early voters were former Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and his family members in Baramati, Leader of Opposition in Legislative Council Vinod Tawde and his family in Mumbai, Pankaja Munde in Beed and actor Rekha in Mumbai.
People come out in large number to vote in >#MaharashtraPolls>@the_hindu>@Mumbai_Connect
— Alok Deshpande (@alokdesh) >October 15, 2014
Will Maharashtra cross 2009 voting percentage of 59.5%? Seems likely if this enthusiasm continues... >@the_hindu>@Mumbai_Connect
— Alok Deshpande (@alokdesh) >October 15, 2014
8:16 am: Today's cartoonscape by Keshav:
8:06 am: According to Haryana’s Chief Electoral Officer, Shrikant Walgad, supervisory teams are keeping an eye on polling parties which would report from time to time during polling to their concerned senior officers. Constant vigil is being maintained on persons and vehicles in all border areas of Haryana. Teams of flying squads are patrolling to ensure smooth conduct of elections.
7:53 am: By breaking the alliance with the oldest ally, the Modi-Shah combine has taken a huge risk - neither blame, nor glory would be shared with anyone else. Varghese K. George on the >political gamble taken by the saffron party.
7:41 am: PM Modi tweets - urging people of Maharashtra and Haryana to exercise their franchise and ensure record turnout.
Urging the people of Haryana & Maharashtra to go out & cast their votes. Youngsters must show the way & ensure record turnout.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) >October 15, 2014
7:38 am: In Haryana, BJP will be using Prime Minister Narendra Modi to pull off a win with its slogan of ‘Chalo Modi ke saath.’ The party wants to show that Mr. Modi’s popularity has not waned. On the other hand, the ruling Congress led by incumbent Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda is pushing for a record third term. >Read here
7:34 am: Assets of 216 MLAs grew 164 per cent since last Maharashtra polls, according to this >study .
7:20 am: As coalitions fell in Maharashtra, here’s a question: how many seats did each party in the two former alliances actually deserve to get? The answer to that is obviously political. Rukmini Shrinivasan finds two broad trends from the electoral data in the last 20 years and comes up with 4 reasons on why BJP was right to want more seats. >Read here
7:12 am: For the BJP, the stakes in Haryana are considerably lower than in the case of Maharashtra. >Read The Hindu Editorial
7:04 am: The most at stake is in Maharashtra where the BJP chose to break its 25-year-old alliance with the Shiv Sena to strike out on its own. The BJP’s gamble in these elections could redefine Maharashtra politics. For Congress, it is a test of its ability to arrest the slide. >Read more
