Maharashtra elections 2024: Decent turnout in Panvel and Belapur

People queue up to vote in Panvel; (right) Arjun Bhatnagar, first time voter from Nerul

The Navi Mumbai Assembly seats of Panvel and Belapur, which fall under the Raigad and Thane districts, respectively, witnessed a decent voter turnout. However, voters expressed confusion about the potential winners, citing the division within parties like the NCP and Shiv Sena. Many believe this will lead to a neck and neck fight in both constituencies. Some voters remarked that in the history of Maharashtra, they have never encountered such closely contested elections, leaving them uncertain about the outcome even after casting their votes.

"I have never seen such battles in Maharashtra. In the Belapur constituency, where BJP's Manda Mhatre won in 2019 with a huge margin, she now faces a tough challenge from Sandeep Naik who was with the BJP just days before the election but switched to NCP (SP) at the last minute. Despite Mhatre's good work, Naik has a strong voter base, making this a closely fought contest. Real issues like infrastructure, unmaintained gardens, traffic, and roads are no longer the primary focus for voters who seem torn between voting based on party divisions or development. I see a neck and neck fight between the two," said Laxman Sanobat, a voter from Belapur.

The polling centre in Belapur; (right) A wheelchair kept to assist senior citizens, disabled

In Panvel, another voter, Aman Chaudhary, said, "In Panvel, BJP's Prashant Thakur has a clear edge because of his developmental work. However, a large number of people - especially Muslim voters who believe this is a chance to defeat Thakur - are voting for Balaram Patil who is contesting as a Peasants and Workers Party of India candidate."

Voters in the Panvel constituency also feel that if Shiv Sena (UBT) had chosen Patil as their candidate, he could have easily defeated Thakur. Initially, Patil filed his candidature with Shiv Sena (UBT), but at the last minute, Leena Garad, who switched from BJP, was given the ticket. "The division of votes between Garad and Patil is giving BJP's Thakur a significant advantage," said Sabir Patel, a voter from Panvel.

Voters also seemed influenced by Patil's narrative that he has the support of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) despite Shiv Sena (UBT), a key MVA constituent, fielding its own candidate.

Meanwhile, voters, who turned up in greater numbers as compared to 2019, appreciated the work done by the Election Commission of India (ECI) in making necessary arrangements such as water and wheelchairs to help senior citizens available at polling booths. "The ECI has made very good arrangements this time, especially by providing fans in the waiting area, water and wheelchairs for ailing and senior citizens, as well as volunteers to assist them," said Prajakta Bagwe, a voter from Nerul.

Young voters, many who turned out to vote for the first time, identified unemployment and inflation as their core concerns. "I believe the major issues for youngsters are unemployment, inflation, and farmers' issues. Apart from this, I also considered the local issues in my area while casting my vote," said 18-year-old Arjun Bhatnagar from Nerul, who voted for the first time.

According to the official ECI data, the voter turnout in the Panvel constituency was 52.09 per cent as of 7 pm (approximate figure, subject to revision), which is about 4 per cent lower than in 2019. Meanwhile, Belapur recorded a turnout of approximately 51.41 per cent by 7 pm, reflecting an increase of at least 5 per cent as compared to 2019.

In the 2019 Assembly elections, the voter turnout in the Belapur constituency was 46.4 per cent. BJP's Manda Mhatre secured a victory with 51.5 per cent of the votes, while NCP's Ashok Gawade received 25.9 per cent votes.

In Panvel, BJP's Prashant Thakur achieved a decisive win, securing 61 per cent of the votes from a total voter turnout of 56.08 per cent. Haresh Manohar Keni of the Peasants and Workers Party of India managed to secure only 29.8 per cent of the votes.