Mumbai: The Election Commission of India has begun the vote-from-home facility across Maharashtra for the ensuing state assembly elections. The facility can be availed by citizens who have submitted the 12D form. In Mumbai’s high-profile Malabar Hill assembly, so far, 268 senior citizens who are more than 85-years old and 10 disabled voters have cast their vote, the EC’s Mumbai office informed.

The vote-from-home facility will be available till November 16. The voting for the 288 assemblies in Maharashtra will be held on Wednesday, November 20 and results will be declared on November 23.

The Election Commission of India launched the initiative to not only increase the voting percentage but also allow senior citizens and disabled persons to participate in the festival of democracy, who are not able to present at the polling stations. In ten constituencies of Mumbai city district, there are a total of 2,137 senior citizen voters above 85 years of age and 219 disabled voters.

Malabar Hill is one of the constituencies in Maharashtra which has a lover voter turnout. Before announcing the schedule for the assembly polls, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar has expressed concern over urban apathy of voters, including areas like Colaba in south Mumbai. The commission recently also held a special initiative for citizens of Colaba to encourage them to excersie their right to vote.

The election commission this time has decided to instal polling boths in residential high-rises for the convenience of the citizens. This will help to increase the voter turnout. This assembly elections, 1,185 polling stations will be installed in residential high-rises and complexes.

Mumbai: To facilitate the election staff to reach their destinations on time and allow the smooth conduct of Maharashtra assembly elections, the public transport services in Mumbai, including the Metro and BEST bus services have been extended till midnight on the day of voting. The polling will be held on Wednesday, November 20. The commission has already declared a mandatory public holiday in Mumbai on the polling day.

The directives were issued by Brihanmumbai Municipal Commissioner and Chief Electoral officer for Mumbai, Bhushan Gagrani after the Returning Officer had requested to extend the timings for public transport on the polling day to facilitate the election staff.

Gadrani has directed the MMRCL, Reliance Metro, and the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) to extend their public transport services on poll day i.e. November 20, 2024. The directive mandates that the extended transport services will commence at 4:00 AM on November 20 and continue until 1:00 AM the following day, a press statement released by the EC says.

This decision aims to facilitate the timely and efficient attendance of election staff, who are required to report early to polling stations to carry out essential duties. The extended operation hours will also benefit voters and general commuters, ensuring uninterrupted travel across the city throughout the day, thereby increasing voter turnout.

Citizens and election staff are urged to plan their travel accordingly and take advantage of these extended public transport services. Further, Divyang and 85+ citizens can benefit from the low-floor deck of AC buses arranged for them, the statement released by EC adds.

The election commission has urged the citizens to stay informed and check for any updates related to polling day travel schedules.

Meanwhile, the commission has already directed a mandatory public holiday for all government and private sectors, including commercial establishments and traders. The objective is to allow the citizens to cast their votes. If a paid holiday is not granted, strict actions under the relevant sections will be taken by the Election Commission of India.

However, in exceptional circumstances where it is not possible to grant full day leave, employees can be given relaxation of at least four hours.

Mumbai: The BJP-led Mahayuti government continues to prioritize the development of people from marginalized communities. As part of its ongoing efforts, the government has launched a scholarship program aimed at helping students from backward classes pursue higher education abroad.

One of the beneficiaries of this initiative is Rohit Suresh Diwse, a student from Tadali village in Maharashtra’s Chandrapur district. Currently enrolled in the Master’s program in Construction Management at the University of Birmingham, UK, Rohit shared his gratitude, saying, “This scholarship has made it possible for me to study abroad. I am receiving Rs 50,000, and there are 75 other students like me who have been given the opportunity to follow their dreams, thanks to the Mahayuti government. For some, the scholarship amount is as high as Rs 1 crore, which is a huge help.”

About The Scholarship Scheme

The Maharashtra government launched this scholarship scheme in 2023, aimed at supporting academically gifted students from backward classes who face financial challenges. On October 30, 2023, a decision was made to provide funds for 75 deserving students from the VJNT, OBC, and SBC communities. Officials indicate that the number of beneficiaries may rise in the future.

The process for selecting the students involved the Other Backward Bahujan Welfare Department calling for applications. A committee, led by the Director of the Backward Bahujan Welfare Department in Pune, reviewed and categorized the applicants based on the World QS rankings of their chosen universities. The final list was presented to the Mahayuti government and approved on September 26.

Importantly, students receiving these scholarships are expected to serve the country upon completing their education abroad, ensuring their contributions benefit India in the long term.