Sign In
By signing in or creating an account, you agree with Associated Broadcasting Company's Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy.
By signing in or creating an account, you agree with Associated Broadcasting Company's Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy.
As the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections draw closer, Ward 68 has emerged as one of the key constituencies to watch. Voters in the ward will choose their corporator as part of the larger BMC election process, which will shape Mumbai’s civic leadership for the next five years.
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Friday said Mumbai voters had rejected those in power for the past 25 years and opted for the “development brand,” in a swipe at Uddhav Thackeray and Raj Thackeray. He said the BJP-led Mahayuti is set to have mayors in a majority of the 29 municipal corporations, adding that while some fought on emotional issues, people voted for development.
Reacting to the BJP-led alliance’s victory in the Maharashtra civic polls, BJP leader K Annamalai on Friday said the results showed that people trust “triple-engine leadership” and have rejected divisive propaganda. In a social media post, he said Mumbai voters had spoken with “crystal clarity” and that the Mahayuti’s historic win in the BMC polls was a strong endorsement of development-first governance. Annamalai was targeted during the campaign by Raj Thackeray, who accused the southern leader of attempting to separate Mumbai from Maharashtra by projecting it as an international city and mockingly referred to him as “Rasmalai.”
The BJP, led by former Maharashtra chief minister Ashok Chavan, on Friday won the Nanded-Waghala City Municipal Corporation elections, ending the Congress’ long hold over the civic body. The BJP secured 45 of the 81 seats, while AIMIM emerged as the second-largest party with 15 seats. The Congress won 10 seats and the Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi five. The Shiv Sena was limited to four seats, the NCP won one, and one Independent candidate also emerged victorious.
According to the latest figures as of 8.53 pm, the BJP has won or is leading in 88 seats, emerging as the single largest party, followed by the Shiv Sena (UBT) with 65 seats. The Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) is ahead in 28 seats, while the Congress has secured 24. The MNS has won six seats, AIMIM eight, the NCP three, the Samajwadi Party two, and the NCP (Sharad Pawar faction) one.
The BJP–Shiv Sena (Shinde) alliance has moved closer to wresting control of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, ending nearly 25 years of Thackeray dominance. The outcome blunted the joint challenge of Uddhav Thackeray and Raj Thackeray, whose emotive Marathi pride campaign failed to hold ground. The results signal a major realignment in Mumbai’s civic politics, with the BJP emerging as the central force.
In the latest civic body numbers, the BJP has emerged on top with 76 seats, followed by the Shinde faction of the Shiv Sena with 20 and the NCP (Ajit Pawar faction) with two. The Shiv Sena (UBT) has secured 61 seats, the Congress 19, MNS six and NCP (SP) one. AIMIM won eight seats, while the Samajwadi Party secured two.
Reacting to the Maharashtra civic body poll results, state minister Pankaja Munde said the outcome was along expected lines, adding that the party was confident of emerging as the largest. She said the alliance went to the voters with genuine development issues, which were accepted by the people.
Maharashtra Congress president Harshwardhan Sapkal on Friday said the party will have mayors in five cities and be part of power-sharing in at least 10 municipal corporations. While admitting the civic poll performance was mixed, he claimed Congress emerged as the principal Opposition force and alleged large-scale irregularities, including money power and bogus voting, accusing the BJP-led alliance of “fixing,” especially in Mumbai.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated the Mumbai and Maharashtra party presidents, saying he believes in a politics of development and trust, and that the victory reflects this vision. Calling it a major and historic mandate, Modi said it was not a minor win but a collective victory dedicated to all. He added that urban development would go hand in hand with the development of the poor, and said the people had blessed the party with their support.
Commenting on the Maharashtra civic body poll results, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said the verdict reflected the state’s strong dependence on Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He said the BJP fought the elections with a clear development-oriented vision under Modi’s leadership, which resulted in a record mandate. The results, Fadnavis added, clearly show that Maharashtra “relies a lot” on the Prime Minister, according to ANI.
In the Kolhapur Municipal Corporation elections, held for 81 seats, the Mahayuti alliance is leading on 45 seats, while the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) is ahead on 36. The breakup shows the BJP leading on 25 seats, Shiv Sena on 15, NCP on four, Congress on 35, Shiv Sena (UBT) on one, and one seat with Others.
For the Sangli–Miraj–Kupwad Municipal Corporation, where voting is underway for 78 seats, the BJP is leading on 39 seats, followed by Congress on 18, NCP on 16, Shiv Sena on three and NCP (SP) on two. In the Ichalkaranji Municipal Corporation polls, contested across 65 seats, the BJP is ahead on 43 seats, Congress on 17, Shiv Sena on three, NCP on one and Shiv Sena (UBT) on one, with other parties yet to open their account.
Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) candidate Vanita Narvankar won Ward 197 in Worli, an area represented by MLA Aaditya Thackeray, marking the Shinde camp’s entry into his stronghold. Meanwhile, Shiv Sena (UBT)’s Aboli Khade won Ward 198, defeating Shiv Sena candidate Vandana Gawli. Voters also rewarded loyalty, with Gopal Khade—who stayed with the UBT and did not join the Shinde faction—benefiting from public support.
A total of 65 candidates from 10 municipal corporations in Maharashtra were elected unopposed ahead of the January 15 civic polls, the State Election Commission said. The BJP accounted for 43 uncontested wins, followed by the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena with 18. Kalyan-Dombivli recorded the highest number at 20. State Election Commissioner Dinesh Waghmare said reports were sought on such cases.
AIMIM has secured its sixth victory in Mumbai, with Roshan Shaikh winning from Ward No. 138 and defeating Shiv Sena candidate Amol Ambekar in the BMC elections. In the Municipal Council polls in Jalna, the BJP emerged as the dominant force with 41 seats, followed by the Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) with 12 and the Congress with 10, while AIMIM won two seats and one seat went to an Independent candidate; the NCP factions, Shiv Sena (UBT) and the MNS failed to open their accounts. Following the results, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis spoke to Mumbai BJP president Amit Satam and Maharashtra BJP president Ravindra Chavan over the phone.
Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar on Thursday thanked the people of Mumbai for placing their trust in the BJP-led alliance, saying the mandate reflects the city’s desire for development. He said the alliance earned public confidence by delivering key infrastructure projects such as the Metro Rail Network, the Coastal Road, and the Trans Harbour Link, adding that the verdict underlines Mumbai residents’ aspirations for faster growth and better connectivity.
Maharashtra Minister Ashish Shelar says, "I want to make it clear that voters participated in the elections for all 29 municipal corporations and supported this festival of democracy, for which I thank them. We will definitely discuss the results after they are declared. I am going to meet CM Devendra Fadnavis at his residence."
BJP workers continue their celebrations in Pune, as BJP candidates Sai Thopte and Ganesh Ghosh win here.
BJP candidate Ganesh Ghosh says, "This is a victory of the candidates who trusted us and made us victorious. I express my gratitude to all voters and all BJP leaders...The entire country is transforming. Pune and the people of Pune are with them. Everyone knows that the BJP brings everyone together and works for development."
Celebrations at the BJP Headquarters as the party leaders distribute sweets following Maharashtra civic body elections
Union MoS Murlidhar Mohol says, "The trends coming before us make it seem that be it Pune or Pimpri-Chinchwad, BJP will do a clean sweep. BJP contests on just one agenda, that of development. We had the leadership of PM Modi and CM Fadnavis over the issue of development. Seeing this, the people of Pune cast their vote..."
Amid the row over the quality of 'indelible' ink used in marker pens in Maharashtra civic polls, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday asserted that "vote chori is an anti-national act" and accused the Election Commission of gaslighting citizens.
Gandhi shared on X a media report on the row which stated that "opposition, voters cry foul over fading ink markers".
"Election commission gaslighting citizens is how trust has collapsed in our democracy. Vote Chori is an anti-national act," Gandhi said in his post on X.
The Mahayuti alliance of the BJP and Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena is currently leading on 129 seats. The Congress is leading on 13 seat and the Shiv Sena (UBT) and MNS on 71 seats.
Former MLA Yamini Jadhav of Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena won BMC ward 209 by defeating the Congress candidate.
BJP’s Ravi Raja loses ward 185 in Mumbai. He was LoP in the previous BMC house, he has switched from Congress to BJP. He lost to Shiv Sena (UBT) candidate.
Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray, Shiv Sena candidate Jitendra Valvi won in Division No. 53 of Mumbai's Goregaon.
Shiv Sena leader Anil Kokil won from Parel, Ward number 204. He had croseed over to the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, from Shiv Sena (UBT) lead by Uddhav Thackeray
3 AIMIM candidates, namely Mehjabeen Atik Ahmed Khan, Mohammad Farsana and Khairunisa Akbar Husen won the municipal elections, from ward number 134, 143 and 145 respectively.
Shankar Maharaj wins from Math-Bibwewadi area
Maharashtra Minister Sanjay Shirsat says, "Today is the counting of the votes, and on such a day. When our workers were coming into the centre, nearly 100 policemen opened lathi charge on them and wounded them severely... Action should be taken against this. The police should show their force on the criminals, instead of the workers... This is the misuse of power. We are filing MLC against them..."
Tejasvi Ghosalkar, who recently joined the BJP after leaving Shiv Sena (UBT), secured a key victory for the party from Ward 50 (Bangur Nagar), Goregaon, as BMC vote counting continued. BJP candidate Vikram Rajput also won from the same ward, defeating Sena (UBT)’s Gen Z candidate Tanvi Dinesh Rao. Ghosalkar has been in the spotlight since last year, following the murder of her husband in a case reportedly linked to personal animosity ahead of the Maharashtra Assembly elections. Since her switch to the BJP, she has emerged as a prominent face in the party and is considered a potential mayoral candidate if the BJP gains control of the BMC.
Early trends from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) vote counting indicate that the BJP–Shiv Sena (Shinde) Mahayuti alliance is leading in around 83 wards as of 11:30 am. According to initial data, the BJP is ahead in 63 seats, while the Shiv Sena (Shinde) leads in 20 seats.
Asha Kale of the Congress party registered the party’s first win by claiming Ward No. 184, defeating Shinde Sena’s Vaishali Shevale and MNS’s Parubai Katke by a margin of 1,450 votes.
In the Maharashtra local body elections, early trends show the BJP leading in 38 seats in the Pune Municipal Corporation. The NCP is ahead in five seats so far. Counting and trends are still underway across the city.
Out of the 227 wards in the BMC, results have been declared for 150 so far. The BJP–Shinde alliance is leading with a total of 80 seats, with the BJP winning 60 seats and the Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) securing 20. The Thackeray brothers’ camp has won 64 seats, including 57 for the Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray (UBT) faction and seven for the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS). The Congress has secured nine seats.
Visuals from Worli counting centre.
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut says, "The voting pattern that has been going on in a city like Mumbai is a serious matter. Names of thousands of people, who have even voted in the Assembly elections, are missing in areas where Shiv Sena (UBT), MNS or Congress... The EVM machine does not work properly... The Election Commission is not ready to listen to us. Yesterday, a meeting was held between the senior BJP leaders and the Election Commission staff, why? The Code of Conduct is still in place."
He also says, "The exit polls arrived even before the voting percentage. The BJP started celebrating its victory... We have assured the people not to be afraid."
On Maharashtra civic body elections, Shiv Sena leader Shaina NC says, "The exit polls are just a trailer, the results will be out in 2 hours. The public has decided the mandate for 29 Municipal Corporations on the basis of development and Eknath Shinde's work of progress."
She also says, "Udhhav Thackeray should change his script writer and find some other excuse... The verdict of loss and win is decided by the public. The message is that the opportunity belongs to those who work on ground and those who work from home are made to stay at home..."
While BJP is ahead on 33 seats, the Thackeray brothers (Uddhav and Raj) are ahead on 17 seats, show early trends.
Visuals from a counting centre in Worli.
Counting of votes begins for elections in Mumbai and 28 other municipal corporations in Maharashtra
Counting for Mumbai's Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) polls to begin soon.
Pimpri-Chinchwad DCP Vishal Gaikwad says, "The counting process is about to begin sometime in the D ward here. We have deployed appropriate arrangements... There is 1 riot-control police platoon, 7-8 officers and 100 policemen..."
On Maharashtra civic body elections, AIMIM national spokesperson Waris Pathan says, "This is an exit poll, not an accurate poll, and whatever is being shown, this isn't the first time it's happened. It's happened many times before that something was shown in the poll, and in the end, it turned out to be something else. Tomorrow is the vote counting, so tomorrow the results will come out. By tomorrow evening, everything will be clear. Who won, who lost, everything will be known... We are confident that the people have blessed us with their votes... We will achieve great success."
Counting of votes is set to begin at 10 am
On Maharashtra civic body elections, Shiv Sena leader Raju Waghmare says, "The results of the exit polls that are coming before everyone are also our expectation that the Mahayuti government will be formed in this Mumbai Municipal Corporation. We had already said that more than 150 of our people will be elected. Today, looking at the exit polls and even if you calculate the mega exit poll of the entire exit polls, this is what will come before you that Mahayuti will touch 150 in any case and the mayor will be Marathi and Hindu only."
On BMC elections, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader, Anand Dubey says," We have gained strength with the Thackerays coming together. We are hopeful that the results will be in our favour.
School in Sion Koliwada for BMC Elections. Vote counting will begin at 10 am across 23 counting centres.
A host of Bollywood personalities, including Akshay Kumar, Aamir Khan and Salman Khan, stepped out of their homes and voted in the Mumbai civic body polls on Thursday with hope "right" candidates will win and tackle crucial issues, from infrastructure challenges to pollution.
Actors Hema Malini, Saira Banu, Shabana Azmi, John Abraham, Ranbir Kapoor, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Saif Ali Khan, Vicky Kaushal, Janhvi Kapoor, Shraddha Kapoor, Kartik Aaryan, Paresh Rawal and screenwriter Salim Khan, also exercised their franchise.
Around 50 per cent polling was recorded in Mumbai and 28 other municipal corporations in Maharashtra on Thursday amid sporadic clashes, while a major controversy erupted over claims that the ink applied on voters' fingers could be easily removed. The polling day saw clashes among groups, allegations of bogus voting and distribution of cash as well as glitches in EVMs.
Maharashtra witnessed first BMC polls since the 2022 split in the Shiv Sena when Eknath Shinde, now Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra, broke away with a majority of the party's MLAs and allied with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to become the Chief Minister in 2022. The undivided Shiv Sena held sway over India's richest civic body for 25 years (1997-2022).
For the counting day, a total of 2,299 personnel have been deployed, including 759 supervisors, 770 assistants and 770 Class IV employees. The BMC has confirmed that all staff members have undergone prior training to prevent procedural lapses. Arrangements for counting halls, table layouts, CCTV surveillance, fire safety measures and medical support have been finalised. A computerised system will be used to tabulate and declare the results, ensuring accuracy and transparency.
Phase-wise counting of votes in Mumbai, instead of simultaneously across all 227 electoral wards as done in 2017, could delay the declaration of results when the enumeration process begins on Friday morning, civic officials said on Thursday. In a release, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) said counting of votes polled in the elections on Thursday will begin at 10 am across 23 centres in the metropolis.
As in past elections, the counting of all wards will not start simultaneously - instead, votes from two wards will be counted at a time. This means counting for only 46 wards will begin at 10 am, instead of all 227 wards at once.
Maharashtra State Election Commission (SEC) on Thursday evening said it would conduct a thorough probe into the quality of the `indelible' ink in marker pens used for the civic polls, after opposition leaders alleged that the mark on a voter's finger could be removed easily, enabling bogus voting.
Amid polling for 29 municipal corporations including the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), social media was flooded with videos claiming to demonstrate how the ink could be removed using chemicals such as acetone, even as Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis dismissed the claims.
