Maharashtra Municipal Polls Kick Off with High-Stakes Mumbai Battle
Maharashtra heads to the polls on Thursday for elections across 29 municipal corporations. All eyes focus sharply on Mumbai, where the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance engages in a direct battle with the united Thackeray front. The prize is control of the cash-rich Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, India's wealthiest civic body.
Polling Details and Voter Turnout
Polling for 2,869 seats spread over 893 wards begins at 7:30 AM and concludes at 5:30 PM on January 15. A massive electorate of 3.48 crore voters holds the power to decide the political fate of 15,931 candidates. Mumbai alone sees 1,700 candidates in the fray, while Pune has 1,166 contenders. Vote counting will take place the following day, on January 16.
Authorities deploy more than 25,000 police personnel across Mumbai to oversee the BMC elections and the subsequent counting process. This includes senior officers ensuring law and order. Except for Mumbai, all other 28 urban bodies feature multi-member wards in this electoral exercise.
Shiv Sena's First Post-Split BMC Test
This election marks the Shiv Sena's first BMC battle since the dramatic 2022 split. Eknath Shinde broke away at that time, taking a majority of the party's legislators along with its name and election symbol. The undivided Shiv Sena previously held sway over the country's richest civic body for an unbroken quarter of a century, making this contest particularly symbolic.
Key Political Moves and Surprising Alliances
In a significant political development, estranged cousins Uddhav Thackeray and Raj Thackeray reunited after two decades. Their alliance aims to consolidate Marathi votes ahead of the polls. Meanwhile, rival NCP factions forged a local alliance specifically in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad.
The Opposition Congress party asserts its independent presence in Mumbai during this election. It steps out from the shadow of its Maha Vikas Aghadi allies, which include Shiv Sena (UBT) and Sharad Pawar's NCP (SP). In the state capital, Congress joins hands with Prakash Ambedkar's Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi and the Rashtriya Samaj Paksh. However, it contests independently in Nagpur, showcasing a flexible strategy.
Urban Battlegrounds Across the State
Elections for these 29 municipal corporations occur after a gap exceeding six years. Their terms ended variously between 2020 and 2023. Nine of these corporations fall within the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, India's most urbanized belt.
The complete list of urban battlegrounds includes:
- Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar
- Navi Mumbai
- Vasai-Virar
- Kalyan-Dombivli
- Kolhapur
- Nagpur
- Mumbai
- Solapur
- Amravati
- Akola
- Nashik
- Pimpri-Chinchwad
- Pune
- Ulhasnagar
- Thane
- Chandrapur
- Parbhani
- Mira-Bhayandar
- Nanded-Waghala
- Panvel
- Bhiwandi-Nizampur
- Latur
- Malegaon
- Sangli-Miraj-Kupwad
- Jalgaon
- Ahilyanagar
- Dhule
- Jalna
- Ichalkaranji
Star Campaigners Crisscross Maharashtra
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis campaigned extensively across the state alongside his deputies Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar. The reunited Thackeray cousins concentrated their efforts on key urban centers like Mumbai, Thane, Nashik, and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar. Uddhav Thackeray held a significant rally in the latter city.
Other notable star campaigners included Telangana minister Mohammad Azharuddin, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi, and Tamil Nadu BJP leader K. Annamalai. Their participation highlights the broader national interest in these local elections.
Women-Centric Populist Promises Dominate Manifestos
Populist promises targeting women voters formed the highlight of party manifestos. The Mahayuti alliance promises a 50 percent concession for women using BEST buses in Mumbai. The Thackeray cousins counter with an assurance of a Rs 1,500 monthly allowance for women domestic helps and a complete property tax waiver for houses up to 700 square feet.
In contrast, the Congress manifesto prioritizes combating Mumbai's severe pollution problems. It also focuses on upgrading the aging BEST bus fleet and strengthening the city's overall financial health, presenting a different set of urban priorities.
Mayoral Race and Party Positions in Mumbai
The race for Mumbai's mayoral post took center stage during the campaign. The BJP claimed that a Shiv Sena (UBT) victory could potentially lead to a Muslim mayor. The Uddhav Thackeray-led party strongly countered this charge, assuring voters they would appoint a Marathi mayor. Chief Minister Fadnavis further guaranteed that the mayor would be both "Hindu and Marathi," injecting identity politics into the contest.
In the 227-ward Mumbai corporation, the BJP contests 137 seats. The Shiv Sena fields candidates in 90 wards, while the NCP fights separately on 94 seats. The Shiv Sena (UBT) has put up 163 candidates, the MNS 52, the Congress 143, and the VBA 46. Across the rest of Maharashtra, the Congress fields an impressive 1,263 candidates, indicating a wide-reaching campaign.
Public Holiday and Administrative Preparations
The Maharashtra State Election Commission officially declared Thursday, January 15, a public holiday. This applies specifically to areas falling under the jurisdiction of the 29 municipal corporations holding polls. The holiday covers government offices, semi-government offices, corporations, boards, public undertakings, banks, and central government offices within these civic limits.
Election officials confirm the completion of all administrative preparations. This includes full readiness of Electronic Voting Machines. The commission actively urges the public to participate enthusiastically in this crucial democratic exercise, emphasizing the importance of every vote.
