Assembly polls: Maharashtra registers 44.61 pct voter turnout, Haryana sees 53 pct

Apart from Maharashtra, Haryana also voted to elect a new assembly where the voter turnout till 5 pm stood at 53.78 percent.

In Maharashtra, 288 seats are up for grab as Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis-led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is in an alliance with bitter-sweet ally Shiv Sena to contest the state polls opposite the Congress-Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) alliance.

After casting his vote, Fadnavis said, "I have voted with my family. I urge all voters to cast their votes."

In a similar message, Shiv Sena leader Uddhav Thackeray said, "I urge all voters to turn up and cast their mandates." For the first time in Thackeray family, Uddhav's son Aaditya is contesting the Maharashtra polls from Worli, emerging as a new leader in the state politics.

While the BJP had moved its top brass to campaign in Maharashtra, the Congress and NCP had apparently led a lack-lustre campaign. The Congress and NCP had failed to even hold a single joint campaign.

In Haryana, where 90 seats are out for a contest, the BJP is eyeing a second chance after five years of its rule under controversial Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar.

The poll results in both the states will be declared on Oct 24.

This is the first major election taking place in the nation since the Lok Sabha polls earlier this year where the Bharatiya Janata Party registered a massive victory.

Narendra Modi returned to power at the Centre as the PM for the second consecutive term.