Shivprakash Gupta from Lokhandwala and Rajesh Gupta from Oshiwara felt similarly. He said, “We came because we were warned our licences would be revoked if we didn’t vote.” Suresh Lahane, who accompanied his mother, a licenced shoe stall vendor at Seven Bungalows, mentioned, “My mother was unfamiliar with the process and needed help from election officers inside the booth.”

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How are rising Ganesh idol prices affecting the traditional celebrations for Ganesh Chaturthi in Mumbai?

Higher costs for devotees 40.78%

Impact on mandal activities 28.25%

Shift to alternative celebrations 30.97%

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The TVC is crucial as it handles the allotment of licences, pitches, and overall regulation for hawkers. It includes one central committee and seven zonal committees, each with 20 members: 12 nominated and 8 elected by hawkers.

Suryakant Garade, a stall owner near Andheri station, said, “I stood in line for over two hours at D N Nagar Municipal School in Andheri West and was only halfway through.” Sanjay Khande from Dadar Hawkers Sangharsh Samiti said, “At the Gokhale Road centre, the process was painfully slow. By 1 pm, only 70 votes had been cast at one booth.” Monammad Amjad, who runs a garment stall on S V Road, Andheri, expressed hope for positive outcomes. “The BMC had given us a loan under the PM SWANIDHI scheme but didn’t allow us to work. We hope these elections will bring positive results 
for hawkers.”

Santosh Kokat, the election returning officer at D N Nagar School, said, “In Zone 4, voters selected six members for the zonal committee and seven for the central committee from 67 candidates. The process took longer due to ballot papers. We’ve asked the BMC to arrange a strong room for the ballots.” The centre had six booths for 2,470 voters, part of 67 booths citywide for 32,415 licenced hawkers.

Kiran Dighavkar, DMC of the BMC, added, “The BMC tried to present the matter in the Supreme Court on Thursday, but it wasn’t considered. So, results will be delayed until further hearings.” Less than 50 per cent hawkers took part in the election.

Zone-wise voter numbers
Zone 1     7,686
Zone 2     5,303
Zone 3     4,668
Zone 4     7,501
Zone 5     2,160
Zone 6     3,033
Zone 7     2,064
Total    32,415