"Participate in biggest festival of democracy": BJP MP Ashok Chavan urges voters in Maharashtra

Nanded (Maharashtra) [India], November 20 (ANI): As polling is underway for the 288 Assembly constituencies of Maharashtra, BJP leader and Rajya Sabha MP Ashok Chavan on Wednesday urged the voters to participate in the biggest festival of democracy by casting their vote.
"...This is the biggest festival of democracy, I appeal to the people to cooperate and vote. Voting is our duty. If you vote, it will help a good and strong govt to come to power," Chavan said in Nanded.
Notably, Nanded is undergoing both assembly elections and bye-elections for the parliamentary constituency.
Earlier, Mahayuti candidate from Mumbai's Mumba Devi assembly seat, Shaina NC, and her daughter Shanaya Munot cast their vote in a polling booth in Mumbai.
Speaking to ANI after casting her vote, Shaina NC urged the voters of Mumbai to come out and cast their votes.
"I want to appeal to my Mumbaikars to come out and cast their votes. You can raise if you cast your votes; you can criticize if you cast your votes. I have the blessings of Maa Mumba Devi. I hope people will give me a chance to work for the truth with full accountability and transparency," the Shiv Sena leader said.
BJP candidate from Kothrud, Chandrakant Patil also appealed to the citizens to cast their votes.
He said "...Voting percentage should increase...I appeal to people to come and vote. We have also motivated 20-25 NGOs to give some incentives to people that if you vote between 7 am and 11 am we will give things like coffee etc to encourage people to vote..."
Maharashtra recorded a voter turnout of 6.61 per cent till 9 am in the single-phase assembly elections that began earlier this morning.
As per the polling body's data in Maharashtra, the naxal-hit district Gadchiroli recorded the highest voter turnout of 12.33 per cent, while the district of Osmanabad recorded the lowest voter turnout of 4.85 per cent till 9 am.
Mumbai city recorded a voter turnout of 6.25 per cent, Mumbai Suburban 7.88 per cent, Nagpur 6.86 per cent, Thane 6.66 per cent, Aurangabad 7.05 per cent, Pune 5.53 per cent, Nashik 6.89 per cent, Jalgaon 5.85 per cent, Satara 5.14 per cent, Kolhapur 7.38 per cent, Dhule 6.79 per cent, Palghar 7.30 per cent, Nanded 5.42 per cent, Ratnagiri 9.30 per cent and Latur 5.91 per cent.
Voter turnout for Sindhudurg was recorded at 8.61 per cent, Wardha at 5.93 per cent, Washim at 5.33 per cent, Yavatmal at 7.17 per cent, Solapur at 5.07 per cent, Sangli at 6.14 per cent, Ahmednagar at 5.91 per cent, Akola at 6.08 per cent, Amravati at 6.06 per cent, Beed at 6.88 per cent, Bhandara at 6.21 per cent, Buldhana at 6.16 per cent, Chandrapur at 8.05 per cent, Gondiya at 7.94 per cent, Hingoli at 6.45 per cent, Jalna at 7.51 per cent, Nandurbar at 7.76 per cent, Parbhani at 6.59 per cent and Raigad at 7.55 per cent.
Notably, voting began at 7 am on Wednesday for the single phase of the Maharashtra assembly elections and will conclude at 6 pm. Polling is taking place across 288 assembly constituencies. (ANI)