Maharashtra’s election machinery is ready for vote counting across 288 Assembly constituencies on Saturday. Officials expect a smooth and peaceful process after a record 66% voter turnout, surpassing 2019’s 61.1%.
Counting will begin at 8 AM with postal ballots, followed by EVM vote counting at 8:30 AM. The MahaYuti, led by BJP, Shiv Sena, and NCP, faces the Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance of Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT), and NCP-SP in a fierce battle. Smaller parties like the Vachit Bahujan Aghadi, MNS, and Maharashtra Swarajya Paksha have also joined the fray.
A total of 4,136 candidates are contesting, including 3,771 men, 363 women, and two others. Officials have set up 288 counting centers for Assembly seats and one for the Nanded Lok Sabha constituency. To handle the high number of postal ballots, 1,732 tables for postal ballot counting and 592 tables for ETPBS scanning have been arranged.
Mumbai will have 36 counting centers for its constituencies, with over 2,700 polling staff and 10,000 police deployed. The Election Commission has ensured transparency by informing candidates about counting center locations and implementing a three-tier security system.
Officials will open sealed strong rooms in front of observers and candidates. They will then transport EVMs to the counting centers. An online system developed by NIC streamlined Form 12 and 12-D transfers. This system also enabled home voting for over 68,000 senior citizens and 12,000 persons with disabilities. Essential service voters cast over 36,000 postal ballots.
To ensure transparency, officials will provide real-time updates to the media. Statistics and developments will also be shared online. Maharashtra eagerly awaits the results of this high-stakes election.