#MaharashtraElections | #Vote2024#BreakingNews | #WATCH

🚨 ATTENTION : @ECISVEEP @MaharashtraSEC @CEO_Maharashtra

🔥 Voters face the heat of excess fare : Private Travel Operators’ Hindering Voting Rights in #Maharashtra

💥 Bus Fares from ₹500 – ₹700 hiked to as high as… https://t.co/OtVRM64Fxe pic.twitter.com/dHoOwFrIHs

— Surajya Abhiyan (@SurajyaCampaign) November 19, 2024

In light of the Maharashtra Assembly elections scheduled for November 20, 2024, thousands of voters are traveling to their hometowns or native places to cast their votes. However, this situation is being exploited by private travel operators, who are charging exorbitant fares, effectively hindering voters from exercising their fundamental right to vote. Numerous complaints regarding such practices have been brought to our attention. Shri Abhishek Murukate, State Coordinator of the Surajya Abhiyan under the Hindu Janajagruti Samiti, has urged the Election Commission to take immediate and strict legal action against such travel companies and provide relief to voters.

In this regard, the Surajya Abhiyan has submitted a memorandum to the Election Commission, supported by necessary evidence, demanding strict action. Ticket prices for the Mumbai-Kolhapur route, for instance, which were ₹500–₹700 after Diwali, have been hiked to as high as ₹1,000–₹1,600 for November 19 and 20. Similar exploitation is rampant on online ticket booking platforms as well.

This is not limited to the Mumbai-Kolhapur route but extends to several major routes, with fares now beyond the reach of common citizens. Such fare hikes impose a significant financial burden on voters attempting to reach their polling areas to cast their votes. Voting is a fundamental right of every citizen. By inflating fares, private bus operators and travel agents are, in effect, disenfranchising voters. This behavior is unacceptable. Immediate steps must be taken to halt such unethical fare hikes, ensuring that every voter can reach their destination and exercise their democratic right.