The recent Maharashtra elections in 2024 saw a significant voter turnout in the Panvel and Belapur constituencies, sparking uncertainty over the potential winners. Voters expressed confusion due to the division within parties like the NCP and Shiv Sena, leading to a neck and neck fight in both areas. This closely contested election left voters unsure of the outcome, even after casting their votes.
In the Belapur constituency, BJP’s Manda Mhatre, who won in 2019 with a large margin, faced tough competition from Sandeep Naik of the NCP (SP). Despite Mhatre’s good work, Naik’s strong voter base made this election a closely fought contest. Issues like infrastructure, traffic, and roads took a back seat as voters were torn between party divisions and development. Similarly, in Panvel, BJP’s Prashant Thakur had an edge due to his developmental work, but Balaram Patil, a candidate from the Peasants and Workers Party of India, garnered support from Muslim voters aiming to defeat Thakur.
The voters in Panvel believed that if Shiv Sena (UBT) had chosen Patil as their candidate, he could have easily defeated Thakur. However, with the division of votes between Patil and Leena Garad, who switched from BJP, Thakur gained a significant advantage. Despite the challenges, voters appreciated the Election Commission of India’s efforts to provide necessary arrangements such as water, wheelchairs, and volunteers to assist senior citizens at polling booths.
Young voters, many of whom were casting their votes for the first time, highlighted unemployment and inflation as their core concerns. They also considered local issues in their areas while voting. The official ECI data revealed a voter turnout of 52.09% in Panvel and 51.41% in Belapur by 7 pm, reflecting an increase in voter participation compared to the 2019 elections.
In the 2019 Assembly elections, the voter turnout in Belapur was 46.4%, with Mhatre securing a victory with 51.5% of the votes. In Panvel, Prashant Thakur won decisively with 61% of the votes from a total turnout of 56.08%. Despite the uncertainty surrounding the outcome of the elections, the increased voter turnout indicates a growing interest and engagement among the electorate in the Panvel and Belapur constituencies.
