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Polling in 29 civic corporations in Maharashtra today: Despite cracks Mahayuti aims top spot; Opp battles to keep challenge alive

Elections will be held for 2,801 seats as 68 candidates were elected unopposed.

5 min readMumbaiJan 14, 2026 08:54 PM IST

In Maharashtra Polling officials with EVMs and other election material leave for their respective polling booths ahead of Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation election.

Polling officials with EVMs and other election material leave for their respective polling booths ahead of Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation election, in Mumbai (PTI Photo)

The 29 municipal corporations, including the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) in Mumbai, which goes to polls in Maharashtra on Wednesday will see the ruling alliance try to retain supremacy despite clear faultlines within its three allies and a struggling Opposition try to keep up the political heat and stay relevant. A high-octane campaign for the urban civic bodies witnessed alliances breaking and new ones forming.

While elections were originally scheduled for 2,869 seats, including 227 in the BMC, polls will now be held for 2,801 seats as 68 candidates were elected unopposed. No polling will occur for these 68 seats.

The poll season that kicked off with the controversy over the unopposed election of corporators with the Opposition alleging the use of money and muscle power culminated with yet another controversy as the State Election Commission (SEC) allowed door-to-door campaign even after campaigning ended on January 13. The SEC has clarified it has sought reports from municipal commissioners on the unopposed polls and that the rule for door-to-door campaign has been there since 2012.

The last day before polling witnessed widespread allegations of the ruling BJP and Shiv Sena led by Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde distributing money. Areas such as Vasai, Dombivli, Thane, Panvel, Akola, Nagpur, Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad reported such instances.

Also Read | ‘Sleeper cell within Congress sabotaged alliance with VBA’: Prakash Ambedkar on why the tie-up faltered ahead of BMC polls

Cracks in alliance

In a never-seen-before political development in the state, the traditional battlelines of Maharashtra politics have dissolved into chaos during these polls. The ruling Mahayuti and Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) have not only failed to maintain a uniform political equation across different regions, but neighbouring cities are also witnessing a political shift, with an ally in one city emerging as the main opponent in the next.

For example, the BJP and Shinde-led Shiv Sena have formed an alliance in Mumbai, Thane and Kalyan-Dombivli, but will be fighting against each other in Mira-Bhayander and Navi Mumbai. The BJP and the Ajit Pawar-led NCP will take on each other in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad, but have an alliance in Ahilyanagar and Kolhapur.

The violence between Shinde-led Sena and BJP marked campaigning in Thane, Navi Mumbai and Kalyan-Dombivli. In Pune, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar took on the BJP aggressively, prompting state BJP chief Ravindra Chavan to repent the decision of allying with Pawar in the state government.

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Similarly, while an Opposition party is squaring against a ruling party in one city, it seek votes in alliance with the ruling party in another. For example, the Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP) has allied with the NCP in Pune, Pimpri-Chinchwad (PCMC) and Parbhani and will take on Opposition partners Congress and the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT). The Congress has walked out of the MVA in Mumbai, Thane, Nagpur, and Chandrapur, among others.

New alliances formed

The NCP and NCP (SP) joining hands in Pune and PCMC has reignited the talks of merger between the two parties. While the leaders from both the parties have maintained silence, sources hint that the process of two parties coming together has begun.

The Congress too joined hands with the Prakash Ambedkar-led Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) in Latur, Nanded and Mumbai.

Campaigning by top leaders

Top leaders of all the parties joined the campaign with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis leading for the BJP across the state. Shinde too ensured his presence by visiting over 51 places. Ajit Pawar on the other hand chose to concentrate his power to safeguard his bastion of Pune and PCMC.

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From the Opposition, Maharashtra Congress chief Harshvardhan Sapkal held rallies in all municipal corporations where the elections will be held. Ambedkar and his son Sujat too travelled extensively, focusing on Akola, Amaravati, Solapur and Mumbai.

Multi-member ward system

Except for Mumbai, elections in the other 28 municipal corporations are being conducted under the multi-member ward system. In Mumbai, voters will cast only one vote as each ward elects a single representative. In the remaining 28 corporations, most wards will have four seats, while some may have three or five.

Precaution regarding duplicate voters

The Assembly constituency voter lists prepared by the Election Commission of India (ECI) are used for local body elections. As per legal provisions, the SEC fixed July 1, 2025 as the notified date and divided the existing Assembly lists into ward-wise lists. A double asterisk (**) mark has been placed next to the names of potential duplicate voters in the ward-wise lists. These voters were urged to clarify which polling station they intend to vote at. Door-to-door verification was conducted, and applications were collected in a prescribed format. Such voters will only be allowed to vote at their specified station. If an application was not collected for some reason, the voter must provide an undertaking at the polling station stating they have not voted elsewhere. They will be allowed to vote only after strict identity verification.

Alok Deshpande

Alok Deshpande is a Special Correspondent with The Indian Express' Mumbai bureau, recognized for his focused and authoritative reporting on governance, politics, and the socio-economic dynamics of Maharashtra's hinterlands. His unique academic background in Geology and early work in the water sector provides a specialized layer of Expertise to his reporting on resource and environmental issues. Expertise Current Role: Special Correspondent, The Indian Express, Mumbai. Core Authority: Alok provides detailed coverage of Maharashtra politics and governance, with a particular emphasis on how policies and power struggles affect the rural and semi-urban areas (the 'hinterlands'). Key Coverage Areas: His reports frequently focus on high-stakes administrative and political topics, including: State Assembly Proceedings: In-depth reporting on the Legislative Assembly, covering ministerial statements, legislative debates, and inter-party conflict within the ruling Mahayuti alliance. Policy & Finance: Coverage of state finances, including supplementary budget demands, fiscal deficits, and major government schemes (e.g., Jal Jeevan Mission, Ladki Bahin Yojana). Rural and Social Issues: Reports on critical health issues (e.g., child deaths in districts), human-animal conflict (leopard attacks, stray dogs), and agrarian concerns (e.g., farmer suicides). Local and Urban Governance: Covers major announcements regarding urban development (e.g., BMC's OC amnesty scheme, pagdi system push) and local body elections, including political defections and alliance splits. Unique Credentials & Trustworthiness Academic Specialization: Holds a Post-graduate degree in Geology. This background gives him a foundational understanding of natural resources, which directly informs his reporting on environment, water, and infrastructure projects. Early Professional Experience: His shift to journalism came after working with an NGO focused on the water sector. This practical experience strengthens his Expertise in critical areas like water management and rural development, as evidenced by his reporting on the Jal Jeevan Mission. Journalism Training: An alumnus of the prestigious Asian College of Journalism (ACJ), Chennai, confirming his formal training and commitment to rigorous journalistic standards. Alok Deshpande's rare combination of scientific education, non-profit sector experience, and deep political reporting makes him a highly trusted and authoritative voice on the governance and ground realities of Maharashtra. He tweets @alokdesh ... Read More

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