MUMBAI: An average of 17.73 per cent of voters cast their ballots in the first four hours of polling for the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation elections on Thursday, officials said.

As per the latest polling data shared by civic authorities, ward number 114 in the eastern suburbs recorded the highest voter turnout at 26.31 per cent, while the lowest turnout of 6.23 per cent was reported in ward number 227 in south Mumbai.

Several other wards also saw relatively higher participation above the 23 per cent mark, though the turnout remained in single digits in a few pockets, reflecting uneven voter participation across the megapolis during the morning hours.

Voting for the civic polls, which began at 7.30 am, is underway amid tight security arrangements across Mumbai and is scheduled to continue till 5.30 pm. The metropolis has 227 electoral wards.