Voting for the third phase of the Lok Sabha elections is slated for Tuesday, May 7, encompassing major key constituencies such as Satara, Sangli, Kolhapur, Raigad, and Ratnagiri-Sindhudurg. Natives of these constituencies have begun travelling to their villages in preparation for the voting process, resulting in packed trains heading towards these areas.
Many individuals from West Maharashtra and Konkan regions, who are currently residing in Mumbai for work or business purposes, find their names listed on the voter rolls of their respective villages. Consequently, a considerable number of people have opted to travel back to their villages for casting their votes, leading to overcrowded trains bound for Satara, Sangli, Kolhapur, Raigad, and Ratnagiri since Saturday. This surge in demand has also caused a spike in private car rentals.
As a consequence, there has been an artificial inflation in rental prices. Standard rates for private vehicles to Satara, for instance, have escalated from Rs 500 to Rs 800, while fares for journeys to Kolhapur range from one thousand to twelve hundred rupees. Some voters from Satara, Kolhapur, and Konkan have even organised group bookings for buses, indicating the extent of the logistical arrangements made for this electoral exercise.
Additionally, anticipatory reservations in many trains have been made, with numerous workers intending to head directly to their villages after concluding work on Monday. Consequently, it is expected that bookings for trains departing to these locations on Monday will witness a further surge. Murad Naik, Vice President of the Mumbai Bus Owners Association, has noted that 90 percent of the seats on many buses have already been reserved.