Mumbai Delivers Creditable Voter Turnout in Long-Awaited BMC Elections
The bustling city of Mumbai, often criticized for political apathy, demonstrated a renewed civic spirit during Thursday's Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation elections. Held after a nine-year gap, the polls saw a relatively strong voter participation. State election commission officials anticipate the final turnout to settle between 54% and 56%. This figure approaches the record 55% set in 2017, which itself broke a 25-year pattern of lower engagement.
Exit Polls Signal Major Political Shift
Most exit polls indicate a clear advantage for the BJP and Shiv Sena alliance, led by Eknath Shinde. This coalition appears poised to end the three-decade-long dominance of the Uddhav Thackeray faction in India's wealthiest municipal body. Axis My India projects a comfortable victory, suggesting the alliance could secure 131 to 151 of the 227 seats. The Shiv Sena (UBT) and MNS combine is predicted to win 58 to 68 seats. Another poll by Saam TV forecasts 119 seats for the BJP-Sena and 77 for the Thackeray cousins.
The Congress party is expected to see a decline, with exit polls granting it a maximum of 25 seats, down from over 30 in the previous election. The two NCP factions remained marginal players in the Mumbai contest.
Controversies and Complaints Mar the Voting Process
Despite the respectable turnout, the election day was not without significant issues. Widespread complaints emerged about voters being unable to cast their ballots. Many citizens found their names missing from electoral rolls or discovered their polling booths had been changed without prior notification.
A major controversy erupted over the use of marker pens instead of traditional indelible ink to mark voters. Opposition parties accused the State Election Commission of colluding with the ruling Mahayuti alliance. They argued that the pen marks could be easily erased, potentially facilitating bogus voting. Uddhav Thackeray demanded the suspension of State Election Commissioner Dinesh Waghmare and action against BMC Commissioner Bhushan Gagrani for these irregularities.
Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis dismissed the allegations, suggesting the opposition was merely seeking excuses for an anticipated electoral defeat. Officials reported the polling process remained largely peaceful, with only one confirmed case of bogus voting detected in Mumbai and another in Jalgaon.
Confusion at Polling Booths and High-Profile Snags
Confusion regarding polling booth locations affected many voters. State Forest Minister Ganesh Naik experienced this firsthand when he could not find his name on the voter list at two different centers in Navi Mumbai. He remarked that if a minister faced such difficulties, ordinary voters likely encountered even greater obstacles.
Election Commissioner Dinesh Waghmare attributed the confusion to the long gap since the last civic polls in 2017. He explained that voters often checked the wrong websites or looked for their assembly constituency booths instead of the designated BMC polling stations. Waghmare expressed optimism, expecting the overall voting percentage to increase by about 5% compared to previous elections, potentially reaching 60%.
Statewide Urban Body Elections Show Varied Turnout
Polling occurred across multiple urban bodies in Maharashtra. Preliminary estimates by evening showed Pune city recording nearly 54% turnout, while Pimpri Chinchwad saw 58%. The larger Mumbai Metropolitan Region also reported good participation. Among other corporations, Kolhapur led with an impressive 70% turnout. Other notable figures included 60% in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, 58% in Nashik, 64% in Ahilyanagar, 63% in Malegaon, 53% in Jalgaon, and 52% in Dhule.
Campaign Polarization and Last-Minute Drama
The election campaign was marked by sharp polarization around issues of Marathi identity and communal rhetoric. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis openly called for a Marathi and Hindu mayor. Allegations of money distribution to voters and candidates to induce withdrawals were rampant in the days leading up to the poll.
The bitter contest between the BJP-Sena Mahayuti alliance and the Uddhav and Raj Thackeray combine is believed to have motivated higher citizen turnout. The MNS deployed "saffron guards" outside several polling booths to prevent duplicate voting, a major pre-election concern. Fadnavis dismissed their impact, stating the police would handle any disruptions.
BJP and Shiv Sena leaders expressed confidence after polling concluded, claiming their development work and stable governance resonated strongly with urban voters this time. The BMC's term had actually expired four years ago, but elections were delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and ongoing court cases over delimitation.
