MUMBAI: A voter turnout of 52.94 per cent was recorded in the Mumbai civic polls, down from 55.53 per cent in the last elections in 2017, officials said on Friday.

According to data released by the civic body, ward number 114 in suburban Bhandup recorded the highest turnout at 64.53 per cent, while ward number 227 in south Mumbai’s Colaba area reported the lowest turnout at 20.88 per cent.

Of the over 1.03 crore eligible voters in the metropolis, 52.94 per cent exercised their franchise on Thursday between 7.30 am and 5.30 pm, they said.

Over 15 hours after the polling, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has declared the final voter turnout.

Officials said counting of votes will start at 10 am at 25 designated counting centres across Mumbai.

The election to the 227-member BMC, which governs India’s richest municipal corporation with a budget of Rs 74,400 crore, is being held after a long gap, making it a key political contest. Nearly 1,700 candidates are in the fray this time.

The last BMC polls were held in 2017 with a voter turnout of 55.53 per cent, and the term of the elected body ended in March 2022.