Elections 2019: Mumbai records higher minority turnout

Assembly constituencies dominated by Muslim and Christian populations see a hike in voter turnout on Monday

Elections 2019: Mumbai records higher minority turnout

Assembly constituencies dominated by Muslim and Christian populations saw a higher voter turnout on Monday. Representational Images/PTI

The 2019 voting percentage figures for the six constituencies in Mumbai suggest an increase in the voter turnout in minority-dominated pockets, too, as compared to that of 2014. Jogeshwari, Versova, Mankhurd, Bandra East, and Kurla, which are dominated by minority populations, saw a hike in their voting percentages.

Byculla and Bandra West were the only two other minority pockets that saw a lower turnout than that of 2014 Assembly voting figures. This trend, experts point, might play a crucial role in the results. Minority pockets in the city with a high population of Muslim and Catholic communities comprise Byculla, Mumbadevi, Dharavi, Kurla, Bandra East, Bandra West, Kalina, Mankhurd, Malad West, Jogeshwari and Versova. During the 2014 election, the voting percentage in the entire city was 51.59 whereas in 2019, it rose to 55.29 per cent.

Most minority pockets in the city saw a higher voter turnout than that in 2014 Assembly elections. Representational Image/PTI

Mumbai South

In the Mumbai south constituency, where the main fight is between the Shiv Sena-BJP candidate and sitting MP Arvind Sawant and Congress-NCP candidate Miind Deora, the total voting percentage was 51.45 per cent. The Byculla Assembly seat which has a majority of Muslim voters witnessed 54.56 per cent voting on Monday, which is less by 1.72 per cent than the 2014 Assembly figure of 56.28 per cent.

Mumbadevi, which is another minority-dominated pocket in the constituency, saw 48.33 per cent voting, which was an increase of a marginal 0.67 per cent from the 2014 figure of 47.66 per cent.

Elections

Mumbai South Central

The Mumbai South Central constituency is witnessing a straight fight between sitting MP and Shiv Sena-BJP candidate Rahul Shewale and Congress-NCP candidate Eknath Gaikwad. The minority pockets in this constituency include Dharavi but it saw 48.09 per cent voting this year as compared to the 2014 Assembly voting percentage of 49.71 per cent.

Mumbai North East

The fight here is between BJP-Shiv Sena candidate Manoj Kotak and Congress-NCP candidate Sanjay Dina Patil. The constituency saw 57.15 per cent voting on Monday which is an increase of over 5.45 per cent as compared to the figures of 2014 which was 51.70 per cent. The constituency has a huge minority pocket comprising Muslim voters at Shivaji Nagar in Mankhurd. As per the 2014 Assembly constituency data, the voting percentage was 40.81 but on Monday the votes polled in this Assembly segment were 47.08 per cent which is higher by 6.27 per cent.

Elections

Mumbai North Central

Mumbai North Central constituency has a high number of Muslim and Christian voters. The constituency has been an old bastion of Congress but currently, the fight is between sitting MP and BJP-Shiv Sena candidate Poonam Mahajan and Congress-NCP candidate Priya Dutt.

The minority pockets in this constituency include Bandra East, Bandra West, Kurla and Kalina. On Monday, the Kural Assembly constituency saw a voting percentage of 51.29 as compared to 45.73 per cent in 20104 Assembly elections. This is an increase of 5.56 per cent. On the other hand, Bandra East Assembly constituency saw 52.74 per cent voting which is higher than the 47.35 per cent recorded in 20104 Assembly elections. This means voting per cent in the constituency has increased by 5.39 per cent.

Bandra West witnessed 52.45 per cent voting on Monday which was less than the 2014 Assembly figure of 54.12 per cent. Kalina Assembly constituency, on the other hand, saw a voter turnout of 55.10 per cent, much higher than the 2014 Assembly figure of 50.02 per cent.

Mumbai North West

The Mumbai North West constituency is witnessing a fight between sitting Shiv Sena MP Gajanan Kirtikar and former Mumbai Congress chief and Congress-NCP candidate Sanjay Nirupam.

The Muslim voters, majorly from Jogeshwari and Versova, in this constituency, will play a major role in electing the new MP. The voting percentage in the Jogeshwari constituency was 60.36 per cent on Monday as compared to the 2014 Assembly figure of 56.09 per cent. On the other hand, in Versova, the voting percentage on Monday was 48.53 per cent compared to the 2014 Assembly figure of 43.21 per cent.

Mumbai North

The Mumbai North constituency saw the highest voting percentage across Mumbai with a fight between sitting BJP MP Gopal Shetty and Congress-NCP candidate Urmila Matondkar. The minority pocket (Malad and Malvani) in this constituency saw 48.53 per cent voting which is higher as compared to the 2014 Assembly figure of 43.21 per cent.

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