Pune: Cities across Maharashtra once again recorded below-average voter participation in the municipal corporation elections, held after a hiatus on Thursday, with the overall turnout for 29 municipal corporations staying at 54.8%, nearly matching the 55% recorded in the previous civic polls, State Election Commission (SEC) data showed on Friday.According to the data, several smaller and mid-sized corporations saw significantly higher voter participation, while major urban centres like Mumbai, Pune, Thane and Nagpur continued to drag the state average turnout down. State election commissioner Dinesh Waghmare told TOI that although a higher turnout was expected, confusion among voters about polling booth locations and limited interest among urban elites in local elections contributed to the stagnant numbers.
“Urban apathy remains a concern. Many voters were confused about their polling booths, with some referring to assembly election lists instead of the slips issued by municipal authorities.
There is also a general lack of interest among certain sections,” he said. Despite these issues, Waghmare confirmed that polling across the state remained peaceful.Election officials said the widening gap between metro and non-metro participation reflected stronger civic engagement in smaller cities, where voters appeared more connected to local governance issues.The data also highlighted that male voter turnout continued to outstrip female elector participation in most municipal corporations. Voters identifying as “other” constituted a negligible proportion, indicating low registration and turnout within the category.Poll analysts said the stagnant turnout — particularly in major cities — continued to pose a challenge for election authorities, despite the direct impact municipal bodies have on everyday civic services like water supply, transportation, sanitation and local infrastructure. “There is a general disinterest among voters in local polls, largely because they feel little connection with their corporators. For the past several years, these corporations have been functioning under administrators,” a senior poll expert said.
