Avinash Gowariker Voices Voting Slip Concerns in Maharashtra Civic Polls
Early Thursday morning, Avinash Gowariker arrived to cast his vote in the 2026 Maharashtra civic elections. He is the brother of renowned film director Ashutosh Gowariker. Gowariker expressed clear disappointment over the lack of voting slips at his polling station.
Delays and Confusion at Polling Booths
Speaking about the election arrangements, Gowariker noted the venue itself was comfortable. He said there were no major issues with the setup. However, the absence of voting slips created significant problems.
"I voted today. Everything is good, the venue is comfortable, there's no problem with anything except the fact that there are no voting slips... I don't know why," Gowariker stated.
He explained this omission caused delays and confusion. Voters struggled to find their voting numbers without the slips. Each vote took approximately five minutes longer to process as a result.
Voter Enthusiasm Dampened by Long Queues
Gowariker observed that many voters came to the polls with great excitement. Unfortunately, the extended waiting times caused by the missing slips led some to leave without casting their ballots.
"I'm feeling bad that so many people have come with so much enthusiasm... But they are met with these queues, so they're going back..." he remarked.
He questioned why political parties failed to distribute the election slips this year. This logistical issue remained his primary concern on voting day.
Scale of the Maharashtra Civic Elections
Polling occurred across 29 municipal corporations in Maharashtra on Thursday. The elections followed an intense campaign period. They are viewed as crucial for major urban centers including:
- Mumbai
- Pune
- Nagpur
- Thane
- Navi Mumbai
- Nashik
- Pimpri-Chinchwad
Political Alliances and Contest Dynamics
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Shiv Sena are contesting these civic elections as allies. They operate under the Mahayuti banner in most areas. An exception exists in Pune where the alliance dynamics differ.
The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) has chosen to fight independently in the majority of municipal corporations.
Key Election Statistics
The State Election Commission provided important voter data:
- A total of 3.48 crore voters are eligible to cast ballots.
- These voters will decide the fate of 15,908 candidates.
- Candidates are contesting for 2,869 seats across 893 wards.
- Authorities set up 39,092 polling centres statewide.
Polling Schedule and Results Timeline
Voting began at 7:30 am on Thursday, January 15. Polls remained open until 5:30 pm the same day.
The counting of votes is scheduled for Friday, January 16. This will determine the winners across all municipal corporations.
