Mumbai: Given the lower voter turnout in Mumbai in the previous elections, the BMC has undertaken several initiatives to boost voter participation in the November 20 state polls.

Some of the key efforts include the rationalisation of polling stations (ensuring that they are at convenient distance), establishment of voting facilities within housing societies and making essential facilities available at polling stations.

BMC Chief Bhushan Gagrani Reviews Election Arrangements

BMC chief Bhushan Gagrani, who is also the district election officer, reviewed the election arrangements on Friday. Steps have been taken to address past issues like distant polling stations and long queues. As a result, polling stations have been rationalised for better convenience. Their number has increased from 2,509 in the previous Lok Sabha elections to 2,538 in Mumbai.

Similarly, now there are 7,574 voting booths in the suburbs as compared to 7,384 in general polls. Other initiatives include ‘Know Your Polling Station’ campaign, transportation facility for Person with Disability voters.

“Awareness campaigns are being amplified through media, street plays, celebrity outreach and activities like rap songs and flash mobs,” said a civic official. Polling stations have been rationalised to accommodate 1,200 to 1,300 voters each, with increased stations in high-rise buildings.

The Congress has filed a complaint against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah with the Election Commission of India (ECI) for their alleged “false, divisive, malicious and slanderous statements which breach norms of electoral conduct and extant law”.

About The Case Of PM Modi

In the case of Modi, it charged that during an election rally at Nashik and Dhule on November 8 he made a series of false, malicious, and slanderous statements targeting the Congress and its allies. The complaints with respect to Modi, filed by Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh, said Modi claimed that the current leadership of the Congress was “opposed to the interests of the ST, SC and OBC communities” and was “actively promoting infighting” among these communities. In this regard, the Congress cited a transcribed version of Modi’s statement, in which he said, “On the one hand, Congress and its allies in J&K want to snatch rights of Dalits, Tribals and OBCs by demanding restoration of Article 370. On the other hand, they wave a blank red book in the name of the Constitution to hoodwink Dalits, Tribals and OBCs in Maharashtra.”

The Congress also quoted Modi as saying that “the three former Congress PMs – Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi & Rajiv Gandhi were opposed to giving reservations to Dalits, Tribals and OBCs. The Congress claimed that “the tone and tenor of the entire speech is further evidence of the speaker’s (Modi’s) intention to create and spread religious and caste-based animosity.”

Similarly, during an election rally in Chandrapur on November 12, the Congress accused Modi of repeating his “false and unfounded allegations”. Here it quoted Modi as saying, “If the Adivasi community gets divided into castes, it will end its identity and strength. The prince of Congress (Rahul Gandhi) has announced this in a foreign country.”

About The Case Of Home Minister Amit Shah

Similarly, in the case of Amit Shah, the Congress accused him of levelling false allegations against the party and its leaders during his election rally in Dhanbad on November 12. Stating that these actions constitute a violation of the Model Code of Conduct and the Representation of the People Act, 1951, and also constitute offences punishable under the provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, for promoting enmity and discord amongst different communities with the sole purpose of making some marginal and imagined electoral gains, the Congress demanded that the Commission conduct a thorough investigation in these matters and direct the registration of a criminal case against all the individuals involved in the BJP’s vitriolic and blatantly violative electoral campaign in Maharashtra.

It also demanded that orders be passed banning the Prime Minister and the Union Home Minister from conducting any election-related activities for the remainder of the election period.

Taking cognizance of the allegation that former state minister and NCP (Ajit Pawar faction) leader Nawab Malik seems fit and healthy, ashes freely roaming around and campaigning for the assembly election, the Bombay High Court will decide on his bail plea on merit, Justice Manish Pitale said he will decide on the main bail plea while hearing a petition filed by one Samson Pathare, seeking the cancellation of Malik’’s medical bail.

Pathares plea contended that Malik had neither undergone any surgery nor hospitalisation. “He has prima facie misled the court and is misusing the liberty granted to him” the plea added.

Malik was arrested on February 22, 2022, by the Enforcer Plea in HC says NCP leader, out on medical bail, seems ‘fit & healthy’ ment Directorate (ED), in an alleged money laundering case related to underworld fugitive Dawood Ibrahim and his aides.

He was granted interim medical bail by the Supreme Court in August 2023 to undergo treatment for his failing kidneys and needing ‘hospitalisation and continuous treatment.

He is currently competing in the assembly election from the Mankhurd-Shivaji Nagar assembly constituency. Pathare’s advocate, Chandrakant Mishra, argued that, apart from misleading the court about his medical condition, Malik has violated the conditions imposed on him while being granted bail.

He has stayed outside the jurisdiction of the PMLA court for more than four days. Mishra pointed out that Malik has been giving statements to the media, holding election rallies, and “roaming the whole of Maharashtra.” After going through the order dated August 5, 2023, by which Malik was granted bail, Justice Pitale remarked that one of the conditions was that if he went outside the jurisdiction of the PMLA court for four days, he would have to inform the trial court about the itinerary.

And if the stay was going to be for more than four days, he would have to obtain prior permission. Malik’s advocate, Taraq Sayed, asserted that the NCP leader had not stayed outside the PMLA court’s jurisdiction for more than four days. Remarking that it was a serious allegation, the court questioned Mishra about the evidence to support his claim.

“It’s a serious violation that he is remaining outside PMLA court jurisdiction for more than four days. What is the material filed to support allegations?” asked Justice Pitale. Mishra responded by saying he would submit videos and photographs to prove that Malik had violated bail conditions. Justice Pitale noted there was no urgency to hear the plea seeking the cancellation of Malik’s bail, but said, he would decide the NCP leader’s bail plea on merit, instead.

The court, in its order, noted that the application seeking cancellation of Malik’s bail, “falls short of supporting allegations” by Pathare. The court has granted liberty to Pathare to place on record, in two weeks, material/ documents to support his allegation of the violations of bail conditions by Malik. “Since the allegation is that the interim bail was granted on medical condition and after order, said respondent (Malik) is freely roaming around, indicating that he is fit and healthy, it will be appropriate that the main bail application is listed for hearing at the earliest,” Justice Pitale noted. HC has kept Pathare’s plea for hearing along with Malik’s main bail plea on December 9