Chandrapur (Maharashtra) [India], November 20 : Amid a slow voter turnout in the Maharashtra Assembly elections on Wednesday, Leader of Opposition and Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar urged the people to exercise their right to vote to bring a change in the state.
In a self-made video, Wadettiwar said, "Voting is taking place today in this land that nurtured the ideologies of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, Babasaheb Ambedkar and Mahatma Jyotirao Phule. I urge everyone to come and exercise your right to vote. I hope you will all vote for the respect, pride, and culture of Maharashtra, and also to continue with the ideology of the great people of Maharashtra."
"People of Maharashtra will fulfil their voting duties and you will vote to bring about a change in this state again, this is my request to you," the Congress leader added.
According to the Election Commission of India, Maharashtra has recorded a voter turnout of 18.14 per cent till 11 am whereas the Jharkhand has recorded 31.37 per cent.
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis also appealed everyone to vote in the assembly elections.
"I appeal to everyone that the festival of democracy is going on and participation in democracy is very important. For those who have expectations from their government, it is even more important for them to come out to vote. Everyone should vote," he said.
Voting for the single-phase Maharashtra assembly elections began at 7 am today and will conclude at 6 this evening. Polling is taking place across 288 assembly constituencies.
The primary contest is between the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance and the Congress-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA).
The ruling BJP-led Mahayuti alliance includes the BJP, Shiv Sena, and the Nationalist Congress Party (Ajit Pawar faction), while the opposition MVA comprises the Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT), and the NCP (Sharad Pawar faction).
In the 2019 Maharashtra assembly elections, the BJP won 105 seats, Shiv Sena secured 56, and the Congress won 44. In 2014, the BJP claimed 122 seats, Shiv Sena 63, and the Congress 42.