Nagpur: As the United States sticks to its Tuesday tradition to boost voter turnout, Maharashtra is making a strategic shift in its election scheduling by holding its assembly elections on a Wednesday, after the learnings from the LS polls held in April this year. Historically, US elections had been held on Tuesdays to accommodate an agrarian society, and the day has become synonymous with voting over the years.
Now, as Maharashtra heads to the polls, district administrations hope the midweek date will increase participation after a lower-than-expected turnout of 54.3% in Nagpur during the April Lok Sabha elections. The voting day, a Friday, had coincided with the weekend during the Phase 1 polling. Out of the 7 phases in LS, 4 were on weekends including two on Fridays and two on Saturdays.
"The Election Commission, after studying the pattern, decided that it is a possibility that people might go out for an outing when the election holiday coincides with the weekend, and hence they decided that the voting can also be on a weekday – Wednesday," collector Vipin Itankar told TOI.
TOI also reached out to hill station guides, travel agents, and taxi fleet owners to gauge pre-election booking trends. Manoj Bhagat, a taxi fleet owner from Nagpur, said, "Most of my cars are currently tied up with election work, however, there are almost no bookings for outings during the voting period from the locals. On weekends, however, we typically see a surge, which was the case during the Lok Sabha elections."
Ashish Guru, owner of a resort near one of the Pench gates, said, "This time, it's a very clear picture — there are no bookings during the election period. However, during the Lok Sabha election, even though it was polling day, bookings were steady, likely because of the long weekend, and people were here."
Harsh Thakur, a hospitality entrepreneur and Pachmarhi resident, shared, "Right now, Pachmarhi is fully booked, as this is peak season here. However, this rush might only last until November 10, or at most November 15. After that, the booking register doesn't look as full as it could have been. Despite the elections in April, tourists were here as usual for the month."
Unlike the United States, where elections are consistently held on Tuesdays, India conducts elections in phases, often without a fixed day. In some cases, elections have even been scheduled on different days of the week, including Wednesdays and Sundays. In Maharashtra, for instance, the state has previously held assembly elections on Wednesdays, including in 2014 and 2004. Both years saw voter turnout in Nagpur district exceed 60%, with 2014 recording 61.03% and 2004 at 61.72%.
Raj Patel, a city-based travel agent, noted, "Bookings during the election period are lower than usual, particularly in the week when the elections are scheduled." Other agents also echoed a similar sentiment.
At Chikhaldara, a prominent hill station in Vidarbha located in Amravati district, a similar trend is expected, with a lower rush during the election period. A local adventure tourism operator said, "During the Lok Sabha elections, people visited like any other month, but this time the rush isn't the same. With the elections on weekdays right after Diwali, I think it's unlikely people will come to this hill station, as even here, everything is about the elections."
Regarding Tadoba, sources indicated that safari bookings and other accommodations are typically filled up two months in advance. This makes it highly unlikely that last-minute visitors will secure bookings after the election dates were announced.