A record 55 per cent voting, the highest in 25 years, was recorded today as Mumbai voted to decide who will control the country's richest civic body -- the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation or BMC. The contest was seen as one mainly between the Shiv Sena and the BJP. The voting figure, though, was reached after a preliminary estimate, said the Election Commission. Ahead of the elections, the Shiv Sena called off its two-decade old alliance with the BJP and the two parties have engaged in a shrill, often personal, campaign. Voting was also held for nine other municipalities in Maharashtra today. The BMC has an annual budget of 37,000 crores, more than that of some states.
