55% turnout in BMC polls, highest in 25 yrs
MUMBAI: Mumbai’s voter turnout in the high-octane poll battle for the country’s richest civic body touched 55 per cent, a first for the maximum city in over two decades. Overall voter turnout in the 10 municipal corporations stood at 56.30%.
The higher voter turnout is being seen as a result of the highly polarised poll battle between the saffron allies that left other contenders including the main opposition party, the Congress marginalised.
Going by the traditional analysis, high polling percentage is seen as a vote against incumbents, with the Shiv Sena being seen as the ruling party. With the BJP successfully occupying the position of Opposition despite being a partner in the ruling alliance with the Sena, the higher turnout can work to its advantage. However, a lot would depend on the details of the polling turnout across the city’s different communities and areas.
“It seems the sharply polarised poll fight between the BJP and the Sena has ensured that both the parties worked on mobilising their voters to come out and vote leading to an overall surge in the polling,’’ said Prakash Bal, political analyst.
The India Today-Axis exit poll survey released in the evening of the polls said that the Shiv Sena would get 86 to 92 seats, the BJP would be close second with 80 to 88 seats and the Congress a distant third with 30 to 34 seats. The exit poll also predicted that the Sena would get clear majority in Thane while BJP would win Pune and Nagpur civic bodies on its own strength.
If the BJP and the Sena are in such close contest with no party with a clear majority, a post-poll alliance will then become inevitable. The ‘unhappy marriage’ between the saffron allies may continue and get even more bitter. A possible surge for the BJP in Mumbai from a poor 31 seats will be a feather in the cap of chief minister Devendra Fadnavis.
However, if the Sena springs a surprise by winning close to 100 and if manages to win power in civic body with the help of smaller parties and Independents, Fadnavis will have some headache in store. He will have to face a more aggressive ally. This will be clear only on Thursday when the votes are counted.
The polling percentage in the last three Mumbai civic election shows that this time the city seems to have indeed been stirred up by the saffron allies.
In 2012, 44.85% of Mumbai’s registered voters took note of the BMC elections. In 2007, this figure was 46.14% and in 2002 it was an even more abysmal 43.25%.