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Mumbai: Union minister Nitin Gadkari on Wednesday described Maharashtra as a beacon of progress and prosperity in the country and appealed to the people to come out in large numbers to vote in the assembly polls to strengthen the democratic system.

Senior BJP leader Gadkari cast his vote at the Town Hall in Mahal area along with his family members and expressed confidence that the “double engine” government (led by his party at the Centre and in the state) will retain power in Maharashtra.

Stressing the importance of voting, he called it a cornerstone of democracy.

“Voting is our fundamental right in democracy. I appeal to the people to come out and vote. Increasing the voter turnout strengthens our democratic system,” he said.

Highlighting Maharashtra’s achievements, Gadkari described the state as a beacon of progress and prosperity in India.

“Maharashtra attracts the highest foreign direct investment (FDI) and boasts of strong industrial development and agricultural growth, including exports. It is a role model for other states,” he said.

“The development of Maharashtra depends on its hardworking people, including villagers, and a capable leadership and government will undoubtedly propel the state forward,” he added.

Gadkari expressed confidence that the ruling Mahayuti in the state, comprising the BJP, Shiv Sena and NCP, will secure a good majority this time.

Asked about the “batenge toh katenge” (divided we fall) slogan raised by some BJP leaders during the poll campaign, Gadkari urged the people to rather focus on the state’s development.

“Leave it aside and focus on voting for Maharashtra’s progress. Development is evident in every corner of the state. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, our government has transformed Maharashtra into a better state. The double-engine government will return once again,” he asserted.

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who also cast his vote in Nagpur, appealed to the voters, specially women, to exercise their franchise.

“It is my appeal to my ‘Ladki Bahina’ to cast vote. In a democracy, you have some expectations from the government. Those who exercise their franchise have more rights to stress on their demands,” he said.

Notably, the state government some months back launched the Ladki Bahin scheme to provide financial assistance to women.

Fadnavis expressed optimism about an increased voter turnout, particularly among women, highlighting improvements at polling stations compared to the previous elections.

He noted that, unlike the parliamentary polls held in the summer month of May, there was no scorching heat now to affect the voter participation.

Fadnavis also addressed the gender gap in voter turnout, saying “Generally, there is a gap of five to six per cent between the male and female voters. I am sure that this time, women will fill the gap by turning up in large numbers at the polling booths.”

The BJP on Tuesday played purported voice notes of Maharashtra Congress president Nana Patole and NCP (SP) leader Supriya Sule to allege attempts to encash Bitcoins to influence the state elections, claiming it poses a serious question on the conduct of polls in a free and fair manner.

Commenting on it, Fadnavis called for a comprehensive inquiry to uncover the truth behind the allegations.

“I have already spoken about the Anil Deshmukh fake attack story,” Fadnavis said.

NCP (SP) leader and former state home minister Deshmukh was injured after some persons hurled stones on his car in Nagpur district on Monday evening.

Maharashtra BJP chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule, who too cast his vote in Nagpur, accused the opposition Congress of misleading the people.

“The Congress cheats people with fake manifestos, as we have seen in Telangana, Himachal Pradesh, and Karnataka,” he claimed.

On the incident involving Deshmukh, Bawankule said, “I did not expect this from him. It was unexpected that he would resort to tricks to gain votes.”

“The local police officials have already exposed his tactics. For the past two years, he has been trying to garner voter sympathy,” he claimed.

Lucknow : The Samajwadi Party on Wednesday accused police personnel of deterring dome people from casting votes in Uttar Pradesh where bypolls are underway, while the BJP alleged that the faces of some burqa-clad women voters are not matching with their IDs.

Both the SP and the BJP called for the Election Commission (EC) to intervene.

SP president Akhilesh Yadav urged the Supreme Court and the EC to take immediate cognisance of alleged voter suppression based on video evidence, take punitive action and ensure fair elections. The party requested the EC earlier to issue instructions that on polling day, police officers are not allowed to check the ID of voters, only polling officers are permitted to do so.

He shared a video of party candidate Sumbul Rana from Meerapur in Muzaffarnagar district, accusing police personnel of trying to deter people from voting.

“We are going from village to village, people are being harassed and are not being allowed to vote. Police officers are troubling people, telling them that they cannot vote. They are asking for one ID, and then asking for another ID. They are checking all IDs, but still, people are not being allowed to cast their votes,” she told reporters.

Rana claimed that such complaints were coming from Nayagaon, Nagla Buzuk, Sambalheda, and other areas in the constituency. “We are raising complaints but officers are not checking it,” she alleged.

Countering the opposition party’s claims, BJP spokesperson Manish Shukla said the Samajwadi Party and Akhilesh Yadav are scared of losing in the ongoing bypolls in Uttar Pradesh.

“The Samajwadi Party has lost trust in the voters. That is why they have gathered external disruptive elements in the bypoll areas. According to several media reports, the faces of women wearing burqas are not matching with their identity cards,” Shukla said.

“The BJP appeals to the EC and the administration to ensure that voting is not allowed without matching the identity cards and that the EC’s instructions are strictly followed,” he added.

On social media platform X, SP’s media cell also highlighted alleged poll code violations at some locations, including the Kundarki seat in Moradabad. It said that the party’s agents were not being allowed near the polling stations.

Moradabad DM Anuj Singh said there were reports from a party alleging “bogus voting” in Bikanpur and claims that the administration has not allowed their agents.

“We got these claims verified, I myself spoke to the polling officer in Bikanpur and found that voting is underway smoothly and no voter is facing any problem. There is adequate security presence also,” Singh added.

In Kanpur, SP candidate Naseem Solanki alleged her party voters were complaining of foul play by the administration, and alleging “biased behaviour” by the administration.

Voting for bypolls is underway in Katehari, Karhal, Mirapur, Ghaziabad, Majhawan, Sisamau, Khair, Phulpur and Kundarki assembly seats. Polling began at 7 am and will continue till 5 pm. Votes will be counted on November 23.