Mumbai: The stars goaded them, the netas pleaded with them but more than half of Mumbai never turned up to vote. Analysts felt 26/11 will get even the non-voters out this time, but in the end, it was an anti-climax in Mumbai.
"What happened was shameful. I was thinking of 26/11 when I voted," said Smita Salaskar, Wife of Vijay Salaskar, 26/11 Martyr.
"26/11 was the trigger," said a Mumbaiite.
"I'm voting because of 26/11," said another.
26/11 was meant to get Mumbaikars out in the thousands. But has it been an anti-climax?
Provisional figures show that only between 42 to 44 per cent of Mumbai's registered voters actually voted, compared to 47 per cent in 2004.
"I have come out to vote but a lot of other people I know are not because of the heat and because of the long weekend," said a voter.
"I don't see the point of voting, nothing will come out it," said a disillusioned voter.
Despite the aggressive voter campaigns in Mumbai and the expectation that public anger after 26/11 will bring more people out, the turnout has been quite disappointing.
Even South Mumbai, 26/11's ground zero and home to the country's elite saw a dip in voting.
Estimates suggest about 38 per cent of the voters voted this year, against 44 per cent in 2004.
Only some parts of the city, like its suburbs saw bigger queues.
Polling stations like in Andheri are seeing more than 50 per cent voting as people here feel the answer to the 26/11 bullet is in the ballot.
But overall, despite the protests, the anger, and the candlelit vigils, Mumbai's voting history of elite apathy has come back to haunt it.