Polling in parts of Mumbai’s western suburbs began on a chaotic note on voting day as residents of Borivali and Dahisar faced confusion over electoral rolls and polling booth information in the R Central and R North wards of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).

From the early hours of the morning, voters reported mismatches between the voter details displayed at polling stations and the information available on the BMC’s official online portal. Many residents said their names did not appear on the voter lists at the booths mentioned in the digital database, forcing them to search across multiple polling centres.

Several voters were seen moving from one booth to another in an attempt to locate their names, leading to frustration and delays. The situation resulted in long queues at several polling stations, particularly during peak morning hours when office-goers arrived to vote before leaving for work.

A Dahisar East resident shared that both he and his family member were unable to find their names at the assigned booth and had to visit more than one polling centre before they were finally able to vote. Similar complaints were echoed across Borivali, where working professionals expressed concern over the lack of clear information.

In some cases, voters chose to leave without casting their ballots due to time constraints. Office-goers said repeated visits to different polling booths were not practical during working hours, leading to missed voting opportunities despite their willingness to participate.

Polling officials, however, made special arrangements to ensure that senior citizens and persons with disabilities were assisted and allowed to vote smoothly, minimising hardship for vulnerable groups.

Amid the confusion, political activity continued as former North Mumbai MP and senior BJP leader Gopal Shetty cast his vote in the morning for the Ward No. 17 election. He was accompanied by local MLA Sanjay Upadhyay.

Despite the early setbacks, enthusiasm among first-time voters remained visible. Many young voters stood patiently in queues, determined to exercise their democratic right even as the administrative issues slowed down the process.