MUMBAI: To boost voter participation, the
Election Commission plans to establish 653 polling booths within cooperative housing societies and 156 in high-rise buildings in Mumbai.
These figures are a substantial increase compared to the respective numbers during the Lok Sabha polls in Mumbai.
Currently, the
Shiv Sena (UBT) has six sitting MLAs from the city: Sanjay Potnis (Kalina), Prakash Phaterphekar (Chembur), Sunil Raut (Vikhroli), Ramesh Korgaonkar (Bhandup), Sunil Prabhu (Dindoshi), and Rutuja Latke (Andheri East).
The Congress has 4 MLAs in Mumbai: Aslam Shaikh (Malad), now MP Varsha Gaikwad (Dharavi), Amin Patel (Mumbadevi), and Zeeshan Siddique (Bandra-East).
The Samajwadi Party has one MLA in Abu Azmi from Mankhurd-Shivaji Nagar. The NCP (SP) has not had a sitting MLA from the city since Nawab Malik (Anushakti Nagar) aligned with the NCP.
Going by the Lok Sabha poll results, the MVA leads in 20 out of 36 seats in the city.
In the 2019 state assembly election, the united Shiv Sena fought 19 seats and won 14. But it was in alliance with the BJP. The Congress fought 29 seats and won four, while the NCP contested six and won one.
BMC removes 7,389 banners, hoardings in 48 hoursMumbai's civic body has removed 7,389 illegal banners, posters, flags and hoardings in the past 48 hours after the model code of conduct came into force for the November 20
Maharashtra assembly polls.
In a release issued on Thursday, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation said its licensing department initiated a special drive from October 15 in this regard after the
Election Commission of India announced the poll schedule for the state.
A total of 942 posters, 817 boards, 596 hoardings, 3,703 banners and 1,331 flags across Mumbai have been removed during this drive, the release informed.
BMC commissioner-cum-administrator Bhushan Gagrani, who is also district election officer for Mumbai city and suburban districts, has directed officials to strictly enforce the model code of conduct and has urged political parties to obtain permissions for displaying banners and hoardings only in designated areas, it added. The release said additional manpower has been deployed to ensure continuous action against unauthorized political advertisements during the election period.
"The Election Commission has enabled citizens to report model code of conduct violations through the Cvigil App, under which complaints are resolved within 100 minutes. A helpline number, 1950, is also available for voters to register complaints," the release said.
The results of the Maharashtra assembly polls will be declared on November 23.