Maharashtra Devendra Fadnavis holds grand roadshow for the Nagpur Municipal Corporation election campaign on Tuesday. (Express Photo: Dhananjay Khedkar)BMC 2026 polls Live Updates: In their first ever joint public rally in Mumbai in the 20 years, the Thackeray brothers – Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray – on Sunday gave a call to safeguard the identity and land of Mumbai, terming it a last election of Marathi manoos to protect the city and appealed for the unity among Marathi speaking community. Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut said the two parties would deploy a team of 5000 workers to “take action” against bogus voting.
Fadnavis holds roadshow on bike: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis held a roadshow on a bike for the Nagpur Municipal Corporation election. Fadnavis on Monday said the recently united Shiv Sena (UBT) president Uddhav and MNS head Raj Thackeray are fighting for survival and not for the Marathi people.
Fadnavis lambasts Thackeray cousins: Launching an attack on the Thackeray cousins, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said Uddhav and Raj were born and grew up in Mumbai, yet they have failed to solve the city’s problems. Uddhav held the reins of the BMC for the last 25 years but could do nothing to address the problems of Mumbaikars, he claimed at a rally in Andheri. Fadnavis’s comments came after the Thackerays, in an interactive session, slammed the CM to be an “outsider who does not understand the issues of Mumbai”.
There was a time when election season looked predictable. Kurta-clad candidates handing out pamphlets, banners hung across every corner of the street, and rally speeches delivered from massive stages. But, the 2026 Pune Municipal Corporation elections have shattered this template entirely. This year, the campaigning has become a blend of technology and unhinged creativity. Candidates have realised that every campaign moment must be “Instagram-worthy”.
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Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday expressed confidence that the BJP-Shiv Sena combine will come to power in the Nagpur Municipal Corporation, saying the Opposition front has nothing to offer the city.
Fadnavis led a roadshow on a motorcycle from Bharat Mata Chowk to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Chowk in the Mahal area on the last day of campaigning for the civic elections. — PTI
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis slammed Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Aaditya Thackeray for imitating him in public and quipped that at least his uncle (Raj Thackeray) does better mimicry.
"He (Aaditya) must remember what condition his uncle's party (MNS) is due to mimicry. Uddhav Thackeray wants me to have a debate with Aaditya Thackeray. I challenge Uddhav Thackeray to send Aaditya for debate tomorrow, which is the last date of the campaign, and our candidate Sheetal Gambhir will debate with him," Fadnavis said.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has slammed recently united Shiv Sena (UBT) president Uddhav and MNS leader Raj Thackeray, saying the January 15 Mumbai civic body poll is a battle of survival for the cousins, and not the Marathi people.
Addressing a rally here in support of the BJP-Shiv Sena alliance on Monday, the penultimate day of civic polls campaigning, Fadnavis asserted that Mumbai is an inseparable part of Maharashtra and no one can dare to break it away. — PTI
Maharashtra Deputy CM Ajit Pawar has said that both Shiv Sena-BJP and the Thackeray cousins (Raj and Uddhav) are accusing each other of a lot of things. "Someone is raising the Marathi issue, and the other is raising the caste issue. They are trying to pull people on their side using these issues, but the people there are very smart. They will make a decision on their own, and we will get to know the result on January 16," he said.
#watch | Pune: On the BMC elections, Maharashtra Deputy CM Ajit Pawar says, "Both (Shiv Sena-BJP and Thackeray brothers) are putting a lot of allegations on each other. Someone is raising the Marathi issue, and the other is raising the caste issue. They are trying to pull people… pic.twitter.com/GROkWUby7Z
— ANI (@ANI) January 13, 2026
Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut says, "Fadnavis is challenging Hindu Hriday Samrat Bal Thackeray, on whose support they have an identity today... You didn't even have two persons to put up posters in Maharashtra. He helped you... BJP is a threat to Mumbai, and we are fighting against them." He further said a 5,000-strong team of the Shiv Sena and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena will "take care of" bogus voters in the state during the civic polls.
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.jsVIDEO | Thane, Maharashtra: Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut, on BMC polls, says, "Fadnavis is challenging Bal Thackeray, on whose support they have an identity today... BJP is a threat to Mumbai, and we are fighting against them."
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) January 13, 2026
(Full video available on PTI Videos -… pic.twitter.com/iH6ePpKzWT
Nationalist Congress Party leader Nawab Malik says, "Our candidates are working hard across different areas and putting in all their strength... In the Mumbai municipal elections, religion is being misused to play with people’s emotions. They have brought 'Jai Shri Ram' into the middle of it. There is talk about burqas, talk about Bangladeshis." Campaigning for BMC elections set to end at 5.30 PM.
With only two days left for the civic elections in Mumbai, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has ramped up its manpower to ensure that the electoral process is being carried out smoothly. Alongside this, the civic authorities have also started cracking the whip on miscreants as civic data shows that illegal items including cash and drugs worth Rs 47.33 crore were confiscated from different locations in the past 20 days, since the code of conduct was imposed. Read Here
As Mumbai prepares to vote in the Brihanmumbai Corporation (BMC) polls on January 15, candidate affidavits have revealed a massive surge in the personal wealth of several high-profile candidates. Across the political spectrum, these disclosures show asset spikes of up to 400 per cent since the 2017 polls. Kishori Pednekar, the former mayor and senior leader of Shiv Sena (UBT), is contesting again from ward number 199 (Lower Parel) in the G South ward. According to her affidavit, she has declared total assets of Rs 5.26 crore, representing a significant increase of 226 per cent from the Rs 1.61 crore she reported in her asset declaration in 2017.... Click Here
BMC 2026 polls: It comes as no surprise that the Dharavi Redevelopment Project (DRP) is the lynchpin in the campaign for the upcoming elections to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to be held on Thursday. Covering wards 183 through 189, the battlefield is crowded with candidates from larger parties, smaller ones and a generous dose of independents – ward 188 has 20 candidates vying for the coveted post of corporator.
BMC 2026 polls: Polling for Maharashtra Municipal Corporation polls will be held on January 15, 2026 for 29 Municipal corporations, including the high-profile Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). Polling is scheduled to take place in a single phase. Over one crore voters are expected to cast their vote to elect the local bodies in Municipal corporations. Only voters whose names are mentioned on the final electoral roll are eligible to cast their votes. The result will be announced the next day on January 16, 2026.
BMC 2026 polls: Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has said that after Mumbai and Thane, the state's Mira Bhayander city is all set to be painted "saffron" in the upcoming municipal elections. The Shiv Sena (then undivided) had won the Brihanmumbai and Thane municipal corporation polls in 2017. Addressing a public meeting following a roadshow here on Sunday, Shinde emphasised the late (Shiv Sena founder) Balasaheb Thackeray's affection for the city, calling Mira Bhayander a "mini India" where Shiv Sena's strength lies in taking along all communities, including North Indian, Gujarati, and South Indian.
- PTI
BMC 2026 polls: Tamil Nadu BJP leader Annamalai hit back at Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray after he mockingly referred to him as 'rasmalai' and questioned if the BJP leader has any standing to speak on Mumbai's issue.
"Who are Aaditya Thackeray and Raj Thackeray to threaten me? I am proud to be a farmer’s son. They have organised meetings just to abuse me. I don’t know whether I have become that important... Some have written that they will cut my legs if I come to Mumbai. I will come to Mumbai—try cutting my legs. If I were afraid of such threats, I would have stayed in my village... If I say Kamaraj is one of India’s greatest leaders, does it mean he is no longer a Tamil? If I say Mumbai is a world-class city, does it mean Maharashtrians didn’t build it? These people are just ignorant," he said.
BMC 2026 polls: AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi said, "Be it Congress, NCP, Shiv Sena, Shiv Sena (UBT) or BJP, none of them likes the rising of a leader from Muslim minority..."
#watch | Jalna, Maharashtra | AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi says, "Be it Congress, NCP, Shiv Sena, Shiv Sena (UBT) or BJP, none of them likes the rising of a leader from Muslim minority..." (11.01) pic.twitter.com/eZkiKmtnGk
— ANI (@ANI) January 11, 2026
BMC 2026 polls: The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections, usually centred on basic civic issues such as roads, water supply, housing and garbage management, have this time been marked by a communal pitch. While remarks by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on the possibility of a Muslim mayor have pushed religious identity into the heart of the campaign, drawing criticism from Opposition parties, a closer look at the data shows that while Muslim candidates account for 19 per cent of the total candidates in fray in BMC polls, almost 80 per cent of Muslim candidates are contesting from wards with a high Muslim population, often pitted against candidates from the same community.
BMC 2026 polls Live Updates: The Thackeray brothers – Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray – on Sunday gave a call to safeguard the identity and land of Mumbai, terming it a last election of Marathi manoos to protect the city and appealed for the unity among Marathi speaking community. “This is the last election for Marathi citizens. If you fail today, it will be a mistake for eternity. I give a call to Marathi people from other parties to come together for Mumbai and for Maharashtra. We should not fight. It is what they want (ruling BJP). We should not give what they want,” said MNS chief Raj Thackeray, adding that Mumbai and Maharashtra must remain in the hands of Marathis and not be given to Gujarat. He was speaking at a public rally in Shivaji Park, a second joint rally with Uddhav after the Nashik rally, last week. “We have come together and buried our differences to ensure the protection of Maharashtra. We are telling you all why we want to win against Mumbai. For them (Mahayuti) they want to win to hand it over to Adani,” said Uddhav Thackeray, in his rather emotional speech. “I stand with folded hands in front of the saffron clad soldiers. I don’t do it often. I am telling you to not be a bystander,” said Uddhav.
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