Voters across Mumbai faced confusion due to changes in polling booths, merged stations, and difficulty locating names on electoral rolls, leading to delays and some voters leaving without casting ballots.
Election staff and party functionaries cited poorly printed photographs and duplicate or outdated voter entries, making identity verification cumbersome at several polling stations.
Authorities assisted voters at booths and acknowledged complaints, including concerns over possible impersonation, as civic polls to 29 municipal corporations recorded 29.22% turnout by 1.30 pm.
Mumbai witnessed confusion and inconvenience at several polling stations on Thursday as voters and election staff reported difficulties during the ongoing civic polls, including changes in polling booths and discrepancies in physical electoral rolls.
Many Mumbaikars said their assigned polling booths had been shifted or merged without adequate prior information, forcing them to shuttle between helpdesks in search of their names. The situation led to commotion at several polling stations across the city, particularly during the morning hours.
Election staff and party functionaries also echoed voters’ concerns, citing poorly printed photographs on voter lists that made verification a time-consuming process.
“In the last two elections, we cast our vote at a polling booth opposite Kalachowki police station. This time it has been shifted far away to a BMC parking facility. I also struggled to find my name in the supplementary list,” said Sanjay Shinde, a resident of Kalachowki.
A Shiv Sena functionary from Parel said several voters were unable to cast their ballots early in the day after arriving at their usual polling stations, only to learn that the booths had been relocated. Many subsequently left for work without voting, he added.
In some cases, residents from the same building were assigned different polling stations located far apart. Polling staff were seen assisting voters in tracing their designated booths.
A Vile Parle resident said his name continued to appear on the electoral rolls at his previous address in Dindoshi, despite having shifted years ago. “Election officials visited my house last month and took a written declaration that Dindoshi was my earlier address. Still, the double asterisk remained next to my name,” he said. After producing the earlier form and submitting another declaration, he was eventually allowed to vote.
Meanwhile, a retired professor took an unusual step by alerting election authorities to the possibility of impersonation. The 84-year-old submitted a list of four voters from her building to the G-North ward returning officer in Dadar, noting that the individuals were currently abroad.
Speaking to PTI on condition of anonymity, she said she feared someone might attempt to cast bogus votes in their names. The Returning Officer confirmed receiving her request and said details had been shared with the concerned polling officer for necessary action.
Civic polls to 29 municipal corporations, including the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, are being held across Maharashtra. According to the State Election Commission, 29.22 per cent of registered voters had cast their ballots till 1.30 pm.
