Maharashtra is witnessing a crucial day as elections are held for 29 municipal corporations across the state. Over 34.8 million voters are eligible to cast their ballots in 2,869 seats spread across 893 wards, to decide the fate of 15,931 candidates. Polling began at 7:30 AM and will continue until 5:30 PM. The results will be announced on January 16.
The elections are particularly significant as they are being held after a gap of more than six years in major civic bodies, including those in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region and cities like Pune, Nagpur, Nashik, Thane, Solapur, and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar. These municipal bodies are responsible for managing essential city services and infrastructure development, directly impacting the daily lives of citizens.
All eyes are on Mumbai, where the battle for the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), the country's richest civic body, is intensifying. The BJP-led Mahayuti alliance is vying to wrest control of the BMC from the Shiv Sena, which has governed the civic body for 25 years prior to the 2022 split. A united Thackeray front is posing a strong challenge. This election marks the first BMC polls after the 2022 split in the Shiv Sena. The coming together of Uddhav and Raj Thackeray after two decades is an attempt to consolidate Marathi votes. The Congress is contesting independently in Mumbai and Nagpur, while aligning with regional parties in the state capital.
The campaign period saw high-pitched campaigning from all major political parties. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis led the campaign for the Mahayuti alliance, traversing the state with his deputies Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar. Populist promises for women were a key feature in the manifestos of both the Mahayuti and the Shiv Sena (UBT)-MNS. The Congress party's manifesto is focusing on tackling pollution in Mumbai and improving the BEST fleet and the city's financial position.
For the Mumbai elections, voters will cast a single vote due to the traditional one-ward-one-corporator model. However, in all other cities, voters will cast multiple votes to choose multiple corporators for each ward, under the panel system.
The State Election Commission has appealed to voters to participate peacefully and in large numbers. Security has been heightened to ensure the smooth conduct of the elections, with more than 25,000 police personnel deployed across Mumbai. Of the 39,092 polling stations, 3,196 have been declared sensitive.
Concerns have been raised regarding the transparency of the elections due to the absence of Voter Verified Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) machines. Unlike Assembly and Lok Sabha elections, only EVMs are being used for these municipal elections.
The Maharashtra Municipal Elections are seen as a crucial indicator of the public mood and will likely influence leadership decisions and campaign strategies for upcoming Assembly and Lok Sabha elections.
