The nearly two-week long intense campaigning process for the assembly elections, concluded at 5pm on Monday. From bike rallies, door-to-door canvassing to star campaigners seeking votes for their respective parties and outreach via social media, candidates and their supporters left no stone unturned in connecting with as many people as possible to give finishing touches to their campaign in the Mira Bhayandar (145) and Ovala-Majiwada (146) assembly constituency on the penultimate and ultimate day.

The twin-city witnessed Uttarakhand chief minister-Pushkar Singh Dhaami and former Rajasthan chief minister-Ashok Gehlot addressing rallies for Maha-Yuti (MY) candidate-Narendra Mehta (BJP) and Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) candidate- Muzaffar Hussain (Congress) respectively on Sunday which proved to be a crucial day for mobilizing voter support.

On the other hand, independent candidate and sitting legislator- Geeta Jain who can create a dent in the electoral fortunes of her BJP rival, single-handedly addressed a series of gatherings and rallies across her constituency. Bike rallies were organised by Pratap Sarnaik (Shiv Sena-Shinde camp) and Geeta Jain (independent) in their respective constituencies as a last-ditch attempt to woo voters on Monday. While Sarnaik is entangled in a straight fight with Naresh Manera (UBT Sena) in the Ovala Majiwada assembly, a fierce triangular contest between Muzaffar Hussain (Congress), Narendra Mehta (BJP) and Geeta Jain (independent) is on the cards in the Mira-Bhayandar (145) assembly constituency. 

More than developmental works, the election mostly revolved around religious issues after Uttar Pradesh chief minister- Yogi Adityanath reiterated the sharp rhetoric and divisive slogan Batoge to Katoge (divided we perish) which not only drew flak from the opposition but also did not go down well with Maha-Yuti’s alliance partner-NCP and the local electorate.Apart from independents and contestants from other smaller parties, MNS candidates-Sandip Rane and Sandip Panchange are also in the fray from the 145 and 146 assembly constituencies respectively.

EC On Alert Mode

Meanwhile the state election commission (SEC) and other law enforcing agencies including the police and excise department is on a high alert mode to ensure compliance of the model code of conduct (MCC) by preventing any kind of covert campaigning or unethical practises like distribution of freebies in the critical final days before the voting process between 7 am to 6 pm on 20, November: