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Maharashtra state election 2019 live: Voting picks up pace -- 55.39% voter turnout till 6 pm; BSP worker who throws ink on EVM held

As Maharashtra goes to polls for assembly elections on October 21, as many as 3,237 candidates in the fray, contesting across 288 constituencies.

06:57 PM

All exit polls predict a win for the BJP-Sena combination allowing Devendra Fadnavis to continue as Chief Minister. The number of seats that the BJP-Sena alliance may bag vary from 181 to 243.

05:45 PM

BSP worker throws ink on EVM, is held by on-duty personnel

A Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) worker named Sunil Khambe threw ink on EVMs at a polling booth in Thane. He was immediately held by personnel at the booth. The opposition in state--both Congress and NCP--have been speaking on possible EVM tampering on voting day. While Digvijay Singh tweeted about it, NCP has written at a letter to the election commissioner to disable WiFi for three kilometers around polling booths.

05:12 PM

102-year old Ibrahim AlimJoad from Wadgaon Sheri constituency in Pune casts his vote for Maharashtra Assembly election

#Pune Constituency #WadgaonSheri 102-year old sprightly young #IbrahimAlimJoad and 270 members of his five-generati… https://t.co/6fgfSb2ZVM
— IANS Tweets (@ians_india) 1571657836000

02:54 PM

Voting in Maharashtra picks up pace -- 30.8% voter turnout till 2 pm for the 288 assembly seats: IANS

01:56 PM

You have a holiday, so come and vote, appeals Bollywood actor Anil Kapoor

Bollywood actor Anil Kapoor today came out to vote and asked others to do the same. "You have a holiday today, so why are you sitting at home? Come out and vote," he appealed to the public in Mumbai. Others from the film fraternity like Shabana Azmi, Aamir Khan, Javed Aktar, Isha Koppikar also turned up to vote early today.

01:42 PM

Aditya Thackeray visits multiple poll booths to meet party workers, voters

One of Maharashtra's youngest candidates Aditya Thackeray who is contesting from Worli, said that he is hopping across poll booths to meet voters and party workers. He also urged the city's populace to come and vote in large numbers. "It does not matter who you vote for, right now please come to vote," he told news reporters.

01:25 PM

Voter turnout till 1pm in Maharashtra and Haryana

#AssemblyElections2019 | Voter turnout till 1pm in Maharashtra and Haryana. #MaharashtraAssemblyPolls… https://t.co/VGvI9UdBSx
— Business Insider India�� (@BiIndia) 1571644320000

01:06 PM

Sachin Tendulkar casts his vote for Maharashtra assembly elections

@MadhuriDixit @kunalkohli #MaharashtraAssemblyPolls | "Happy to have voted & fulfilled my responsibility. Let’s tur… https://t.co/UOcNDKLYtb
— Business Insider India�� (@BiIndia) 1571642582000

01:03 PM

Avinash Mahatekar, Minister of the state arrives at a polling booth in Kurla along with his 90 year old mother: IANS

12:52 PM

Maharashtra has merely 235 women candidates fielding the assembly elections. Of this, almost a third are independents

#WATCH | As voting is underway in Maharashtra, here is a quick look at participation of women candidates, this time… https://t.co/Npxb4qatWe
— Business Insider India�� (@BiIndia) 1571641469000

12:37 PM

"A family that votes together smiles together," actor Kunal Khemu tweets after casting his vote for Maharashtra assembly elections

A family that votes together smiles together �� #MaharashtraAssemblyElections https://t.co/hI8V0R6JsH
— kunal kemmu (@kunalkemmu) 1571634242000

12:24 PM

"We have voted. Have you? Do step out and vote today! This is the most powerful voice we have. This is that moment that defines governance and the future of the State": tweets Aaditya Thackeray

"We have voted. Have you? Do step out and vote today! This is the most powerful voice we have. This is that moment… https://t.co/kf9WASea2e
— Business Insider India�� (@BiIndia) 1571640182000

12:18 PM

Madhuri Dixit Nene casts vote for the Maharashtra Assembly elections

12:05 PM

Several Bollywood celebrities, including Madhuri Dixit Nene and Lara Dutta, stepped out to vote for the Maharashtra Assembly elections: PTI

11:57 AM

Supriya Sule of Nationalist Congress Party casts her vote in Mumbai

11:37 AM

Uddhav Thackeray along with son Aaditya Thackeray casts his vote in Worli, Mumbai

11:27 AM

Aamir Khan casts his vote in Bandra, Mumbai

11:03 AM

Ritesh Deshmukh and wife Genelia cast their vote during Maharashtra assembly elections in Mumbai: IANS

11:01 AM

Congress President Balasaheb Thorat and family voted for Maharashtra assembly election in Sangamner: IANS

10:39 AM

Polling underway in Prabhadevi, Maharashtra

10:33 AM

Stock markets shut as Maharastra goes to vote for assembly elections

10:29 AM

Prime Minister Narendra Modi urges people to vote in Haryana and Maharashtra assembly polls

Elections are taking place for Haryana and Maharashtra assemblies. There are also by-polls taking place in various… https://t.co/w6QFDYsR2N
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) 1571621525000

10:14 AM

Voter turnout percentage until 9 am recorded as 4.17% in Maharashtra: IANS

10:05 AM

The all-women polling booth Sakhi Matdaan Kendra attracts a large number of voters as polling started for the Maharashtra Assembly elections: IANS

09:49 AM

NCP leader Sharad Pawar comes out to vote in Mumbai

NCP leader Sharad Pawar who has campaigned extensively for this election, has now come out to vote. His daughter Supriya Sule and son Ajit Pawar had voted earlier. Sule expressed confidence that they will win when she spoke to reporters after voting in Baramati. This time around, the 78 year old is not contesting for elections.

09:10 AM

Bollywood actor says it will be a historic win for BJP-Sena combine

Actor Ravi Kissan cast his vote and urged the people of the city to Arise awake and come to vote. "People have started coming in to vote slowly. They might have slept late because it was a Sunday yesterday. It will be a one side victory for BJP Sena combine, and will be a historic win. People will vote for PM Modi's schemes," he told reporters today. The BJP leader also spoke on how poor people are receiving roads, gas cylinders which was unheard of for all these years in the country. The Bollywood actor sarcastically played down Congress' comments on possible tampering of electronic voting machines (EVMs).

09:01 AM

Former minister and NCP leader Praful Patel turns up to vote

Former aviation minister Praful Patel who is being questioned by Enforcement Directorate (ED) over possible links with India's most wanted Dawood Ibrahim, has cast his vote today. Three days back, he was interrogated by ED for over 12 hours for his association with one of Dawood's aide. Patel might also be questioned for his links with the ongoing scam of real estate company HDIL, which has brought down PMC bank, affecting lakhs of depositors.

08:36 AM

NCP leader Supriya Sule votes and is confident of Congress-NCP win

Top leader of Nationalist Congress Party leader Supriya Sule casts her vote at Baramati. Like BJP leaders who voted today, she too is confident of her party combine winning but also expressed concerns on voter turnout due to weather. "Once the rains subside, people will come to vote," she told reporters. The party and Congress have expressed concerns on EVM tampering. NCP party leaders wrote a letter to the election commission asking them to disable WiFI for three kilometers around polling booth. Top Congress leader Digvijay Singh also tweeted about it and warned the voters to take prints of votes and cat them in ballots instead. Her brother Ajit Pawar was also one of the early voters.

08:22 AM

Nitin Gadkari casts his vote and expects record breaking victory to the ruling government in state

Union Minister for road and transport and senior minister Nitin Gadkari cast his vote and urged people to turn out in large numbers. "I expect Fadnavis government to come back in the state and register a record-breaking victory," he told reporters in Nagpur.

08:11 AM

Union Minister for Railways Piyush Goyal casts his vote says Maha and Haryana grew at double engine speed

Union Minister for Railways Piyush Goyal casts his vote in Mumbai today. He expects thumping majority for Shiv Sena and BJP government in the state. "As many as 225 seats are expected in Maharashtra. There is barely an opposition that is seen," he said. He also expects that Khattar government will be voted into power in Haryana as both states have remained corruption-free, and growth has happened at double speed.

07:28 AM

RSS leader Mohan Bhagawat casts his vote

The leader of Hindu outfit Mohan Bhagawat cast his vote in Nagpur Central today, as voting begins for assembly elections in Maharashtra.

06:49 AM

Opposition parties seek clarity on EVM tampering ahead of voting today

Hours ahead of voting, opposition in Maharashtra has been seeking clarity on possible electronic voting machine tampering. Yesterday Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) asked the state chief election commissioner to leave out EVMs or disable Internet for 3 kilometers around a polling booth. Congress leader Digvijay SIngh also tweeted today warning voters.

12:50 AM

Of the 235 women contesting Maharashtra assembly elections this year, as many as 88 are independent candidates. This accounts for 30.5% of the total women candidates.

12:48 AM

Over half of the candidates from the big political parties contesting the Maharashtra Assembly Elections have criminal records. As many as 916 candidates fielding the elections have criminal cases against them.

12:43 AM

Presently, of the total 288 seats, there are only 20 assembly seats that are occupied by women -- accounting for nearly 12% of the total assembly members.

12:42 AM

Of a total of 3,237 candidates in the fray for Maharashtra assembly elections this year, merely 235 are women. That means only 8% of the contestants are women — which is in fact lower than Haryana at 9%.

12:41 AM

There are majorly five political parties contesting Maharashtra assembly elections -- Shiv Sena, Indian National Congress (INC), Nationalist Congress Party and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

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