Bmc Polls

Shinde's betrayal of Marathi manoos paved way for BJP mayor in Mumbai: Raut

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Saturday said that Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde's betrayal of the Marathi manoos paved the way for the BJP to win the Mumbai civic elections and install its mayor. The BJP has officially maintained that the next mayor of Mumbai will be from Mahayuti (the BJP-Shiv Sena combine). Raut also suggested that the Sena (UBT) ally, MNS, underperformed in the polls, saying the Raj Thackeray-led party was expected to win 10-12 more seats. The BJP-Shiv Sena alliance ended the 30-year-old monopoly of the Thackeray family on the cash-rich Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation in the high-stakes elections, securing 89 of 227 seats. The BJP, however, will need the support of ally Shiv Sena which bagged 29 seats, to run the civic body. The opposition Shiv Sena (UBT) and MNS bagged 65 and six seats, respectively. Raut said the Thackeray cousins collectively won 71 seats in Mumbai on the strong backing of the Marathi manoos, which is a huge ...

BMC election results 2026: Here's a list of winners across top wards

Mumbai BMC election vote counting: The counting process for 227 municipal wards of India's richest civic body started at 10 am on Friday

NDA's track record of development struck a chord with Maharashtra: PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday thanked the people of Maharashtra for blessing the NDA's agenda of pro-people governance after the results of the municipal corporation polls projected massive wins for the BJP-led ruling alliance. According to the trends shown by television channels for 210 out of the 227 seats in Mumbai, the BJP is leading in 90 seats and the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena in 28 electoral wards. The Ajit Pawar-led NCP, which contested separately, is leading in three wards. In the opposition camp, the Shiv Sena (UBT) and its ally, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), are leading in 57 and nine wards respectively. The Congress, which contested in alliance with the Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi, is ahead in 15 wards, and others in eight. "Thank you Maharashtra! The dynamic people of the state bless the NDA's agenda of pro-people good governance," Modi said in a post on X. The prime minister said the results of various municipal corporation elections indicate that the NDA's

BJP triumphs over Thackerays in Mumbai, trumps Pawars in Pune civic polls

The BJP-led alliance was set to bag around 125 of 227 seats in BMC, which is India's richest civic body, whose budget for 2025-26 is a whopping Rs 74,427 crore

Mumbai civic polls: 52.94% turnout recorded; down from 55.53% in 2017

A voter turnout of 52.94 per cent was recorded in the Mumbai civic polls, down from 55.53 per cent in the last elections in 2017, officials said on Friday. According to data released by the civic body, ward number 114 in suburban Bhandup recorded the highest turnout at 64.53 per cent, while ward number 227 in south Mumbai's Colaba area reported the lowest turnout at 20.88 per cent. Of the over 1.03 crore eligible voters in the metropolis, 52.94 per cent exercised their franchise on Thursday between 7.30 am and 5.30 pm, they said. Over 15 hours after the polling, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has declared the final voter turnout. Officials said counting of votes will start at 10 am at 25 designated counting centres across Mumbai. The election to the 227-member BMC, which governs India's richest municipal corporation with a budget of Rs 74,400 crore, is being held after a long gap, making it a key political contest. Nearly 1,700 candidates are in the fray this time.

BMC poll results: BJP alliance ahead on 118 seats, Shiv Sena (UBT) on 70

Mumbai BMC election vote counting: The counting process for over 200 municipal wards of India's richest civic body started at 10 am on Friday

Counting of votes for high-stakes civic polls begins; all eyes on Mumbai

Counting of votes polled in elections to 29 municipal corporations across Maharashtra began on Friday morning with the spotlight on Mumbai, where the BJP-led Mahayuti bloc is locked in a prestige battle with the reunited Thackeray cousins for control of India's richest civic body. Polling for 2,869 seats spread across 893 wards in these municipal corporations, including 227 in Mumbai, took place on Thursday. As many as 15,931 candidates are in the fray in the 29 civic corporations, which had 3.48 crore eligible voters. Around 50 per cent polling was recorded in the 29 municipal corporations, State Election Commissioner Dinesh Waghmare said after the end of voting. A voter turnout of 52.94 per cent was recorded in the Mumbai civic polls, down from 55.53 per cent in the last elections in 2017, officials said on Friday. In the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), whose annual budget is over Rs 74, 400 crore, 1,700 candidates are vying for 227 seats in elections being held after a

Exit polls forecast strong BJP-Shiv Sena win in BMC elections

All exit polls predicted a clear sweep for the BJP-Shiv Sena alliance in Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) polls, which took place on Thursday, and a defeat of the Shiv Sena (UBT)-Maharashtra Navnirman Sena. According to My Axis India exit polls, the BJP-Shiv Sena alliance is poised to win 131-151 seats and garner 42 per cent of vote share in the country's commercial capital. The Shiv Sena (UBT)-MNS-NCP (SP) alliance of Uddhav Thackeray and Raj Thackeray is expected to win 58-68 seats and get a vote share of 32 per cent. The Congress-Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi and Rashtriya Samaj Paksha alliance is expected to win 12-16 seats with a vote per cent of 13 per cent. Others, which comprise independents and small players like NCP, AIMIM, and the left parties, are likely to win 6-12 seats, it said. There are 227 wards in Mumbai. The Saam TV exit polls have predicted that the BJP is likely to win 84 seats, while its alliance partner Shiv Sena could bag 35 seats in Mumbai. Shiv Sena ...

BMC polls: Voters claim ink can be wiped with acetone; poll panel responds

Videos of voters wiping 'indelible' ink with acetone raised questions over poll transparency, but the State Election Commission and BMC said such acts are illegal

'Poor planning': Nithin Kamath on markets shutdown for Mumbai civic polls

In a post on X, Zerodha co-founder Nithin Kamath said the closure of markets with 'international linkages' for a local poll showed a 'serious lack of appreciation for second-order effects'

BMC elections see 17.73% voter turnout in first four hours of polling

An average of 6.98 per cent of voters exercised their franchise in the first two hours of polling for the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections on Thursday, officials said. Polling began at 7.30 am amid tight security arrangements across Mumbai and will continue till 5.30 pm. The average voter turnout stood at 6.98 per cent till 9.30 am, a BMC spokesperson said. Data released by the civic body showed wide variations in voter participation across wards. The highest turnout of 11.57 per cent was recorded in ward number 18 in the western suburbs, while the lowest turnout of 1.68 per cent was reported in ward number 162 in the eastern suburbs till 9.30 am.

Maharashtra civic polls: Fadnavis urges people to vote in large numbers

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday appealed to the people to turn out in large numbers to vote in the civic polls, saying widespread participation was key to building better cities. Speaking to reporters after exercising his franchise in the Nagpur Municipal Corporation polls, Fadnavis said not voting amounts to a dereliction of responsibility. Voting was underway on Thursday for 29 municipal corporations in the state, including Mumbai and Nagpur. "I appeal to everyone to come out and vote to create better cities," he said. Fadnavis slammed the Opposition for casting doubts on institutions like the State Election Commission. "They should write a new script and stop practising what they will speak tomorrow after defeat. Our win is sure in all the 29 corporations," the senior BJP leader said. Fadnavis also said that the Opposition's criticism of the Printing Auxiliary Display (PAD) units during the civic elections was unnecessary, and asserted that the machine

BMC polls begin: Why Mumbai's civic body election carries high stakes

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, which runs roads, water supply, healthcare and infrastructure, is India's richest civic body and a major political power centre

BMC Elections 2026: Check voting date, time, results and poll schedule

BMC polls 2026: The BMC elections will be held in a single phase and will take place alongside polls to 28 other municipal corporations across Maharashtra

BMC polls: 1,700 candidates in race for 227 seats as Mumbai votes today

As many as 1,700 candidates will vie for 227 seats in the key elections to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) with the civic body saying on Wednesday all arrangements have been made for peaceful and orderly polling on Thursday. In a press release, the civic body said preparations for polling were completed on Wednesday with the distribution of EVMs and other election materials carried out at 23 divisional centres in the metropolis. Voting will start at 7.30 am and end at 5.30 pm, while counting of votes will be conducted at 23 designated centres across Mumbai under the supervision of the respective Returning Officers (ROs) on January 16. As per the release, the corporation has finalised counting centres for all 227 wards. Each centre has been equipped with secure strong rooms for custody of election materials, including EVMs, and arrangements have been made to ensure transparency during the counting process. Civic officials said polling staff reported in large numbers ..

BMC elections: Voter card, 12 other identity proofs valid for polling

Electors in the upcoming Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) polls will be required to present either a voter photo ID card or any one of the 12 alternative identity documents approved by the State Election Commission to cast their vote, officials said. Polling will be held across 227 civic wards from 7.30 am to 5.30 pm on Thursday and counting of votes will take place on Friday. A total of 1,700 candidates are in the fray, including 878 women and 822 men. As many as 1,03,44,315 persons -- ?55,15,707 men, 48,26,509 women and 1,099 others -- are eligible to vote. Municipal commissioner and district election officer Bhushan Gagrani on Tuesday said that voters must establish their identity at the polling station by presenting a photo identity card. Those without a voter ID may submit any one of the 12 notified documents, which include the passport, Aadhaar card, driving licence, PAN card, government-issued photo identity cards and bank or post office passbooks with ...

Political parties realign in quest for BMC ahead of crucial civic polls

As Mumbai votes after nine years, the ₹74,000-crore BMC budget-bigger than many states-puts fiscal strength, infrastructure gaps and poll promises under sharp focus

From 2017 to 2026: Assets of several BMC poll candidates see steep jump

Several prominent candidates in the upcoming Mumbai civic polls, including former mayor Kishori Pednekar, have declared a sharp rise in assets since 2017, according to affidavits uploaded by the State Election Commission. As many as 1,700 candidates are in the fray for the 227-ward Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections scheduled on January 15. Shiv Sena (UBT) candidate and former city mayor Kishori Pednekar, contesting from Lower Parel (ward 199) in central Mumbai, has declared total assets of Rs 5.26 crore, a 226 per cent increase from Rs 1.61 crore in 2017. Pednekar, who served as Mumbai mayor from 2019 to 2022, has declared immovable and movable assets of Rs 4.69 crore and Rs 57 lakh, respectively. Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) candidate Samadhan Sarvankar, son of former MLA Sada Sarvankar and seeking a second term, has declared assets of Rs 46.59 crore, a steep rise of 394 per cent from Rs 9.43 crore in 2017. The Sena candidate, who has listed his profession as busin

BMC polls: Opposition alleges bias over rejection of nomination papers

The Opposition has accused election officials of showing a partisan attitude during the scrutiny of nomination papers for the upcoming Thane Municipal Corporation elections after the documents of a few candidates were rejected. Rajan Vichare of Shiv Sena (UBT), Avinash Jadhav of Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) and Jitendra Awhad of NCP (SP) addressed the media on Wednesday night, targeting the returning officer in the Wagle Estate area. The Opposition leaders alleged that the returning officer showed bias in rejecting the nomination papers of Sena (UBT), MNS, Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) and independent candidates contesting from wards 16, 17 and 18. According to MNS and VBA leaders, the nominations of Shinde Sena candidates Ekta Bhoir and Shilpa Wagh were accepted despite alleged discrepancies. The Wagle Estate area is considered a stronghold of the ruling Shiv Sena led by Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. These officials have become servants of the ruling party and they work

BMC polls: Several candidates' nomination forms rejected after scrutiny

Scrutiny of nomination papers for the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections has led to the rejection of several candidates across parties due to incomplete documents, errors in forms and failure to submit mandatory certificates, election officials have said. A total of 2,516 nomination papers were filed till December 30, the final day. As the forms were examined on Wednesday, those of candidates from the Congress, BJP, AAP, NCP (SP), Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and several independents were rejected. As most parties finalised seat-sharing arrangements and issued A' and B' forms (key documents to file nominations) only in the last two to three days to prevent rebellion, a rush of nominations was witnessed on December 29 and 30. Officials said delays in finalising candidatures, last-minute documentation, non-submission of caste validity certificates and incomplete details were among the reasons behind the rejections. Officials said candidates whose nominations were rejecte