Civic Polls

Bengaluru civic polls to be held after May 25 with ballot papers: State EC

Elections to the five city corporations, under the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) will be held after May 25 with ballot papers instead of EVMs, Karnataka Chief Election Commissioner G S Sangreshi said on Monday. He also said that that zilla and taluk Panchayat polls, that are expected later this year, will also be held using ballot papers "Elections will be held tentatively after May 25, after SSLC (class 10) and PUC (class 11 and 12) examinations are over," Sangreshi said. Speaking to reporters here, he said, this time the GBA election will be held using ballot papers. "There are two best practices to hold elections, ballot papers were held since the beginning, but since the last 20-30 years EVMs are being used. Use of ballot papers is not barred by law or by the judgements of the Supreme Court," he said, defending the decision to use ballot papers. The Congress government in Karnataka in September last year had decided to recommend to the State Election Commission (SEC) to h

Day after civic poll win, Maharashtra cabinet clears key infra projects

The Maharashtra cabinet on Saturday extended toll relief extension for electric vehicles at Atal Setu by another year and cleared a slew of decisions related to infrastructure and urban transport, a day after the BJP-led Mahayuti scored a decisive victory in the civic polls. The cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, also okayed the revised cost and the state's share for the Mumbai Urban Transport Project (MUTP-2), aimed at improving suburban rail and urban mobility infrastructure. It also waived the premium for a plot allotted at Ulwe in Navi Mumbai to the Tirupati Devasthanam for the construction of the Padmavati Devi temple. The cabinet cleared the restructuring of 1,901 posts in the Directorate of Economics and Statistics and approved renaming it as the Commissionerate of Economics and Statistics. Revised staffing patterns were also approved for district planning committees, divisional commissioner offices, and special development programmes, according to an ...

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 ...

Maharashtra civic polls: Mahayuti ends Thackerays' 30-year rule in Mumbai

BJP-led Mahayuti swept Maharashtra's civic polls, winning most municipal corporations and ending the Thackeray family's 30-year control of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation

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.

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

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 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 ...

Civic polls: Raj Thackeray accuses Mahayuti of bribing voters, candidates

While addressing a joint rally with Shiv Sena (UBT) leaders here, he alleged that money has been offered to candidates to withdraw their nomination forms in 66 places (wards)

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

Maha civic polls: Fadnavis takes dig at Ajit Pawar over corruption claims

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Saturday took a veiled dig at his deputy Ajit Pawar by claiming opponents were venting out their frustration and anger due to the development work done by the BJP. They are trying to divert focus from development to issues that create unnecessary debate and disputes since they have nothing to show by way of work, Fadnavis said at a rally in Pimpri Chinchwad, where polls are scheduled for January 15. Pawar's Nationalist Congress Party is part of the BJP-led Mahayuti but the two parties are fighting the Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad civic polls separately. In a series of press conferences, the Deputy CM has claimed that irregularities and corruption had curtailed the development of Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad. The BJP ruled the two civic bodies between 2017 and 2022 before the state government appointed administrators. BJP's Bhosari MLA Mahesh Landge had hit back at Pawar, leading to a war of words between the two Mahayuti allies. Pacifying .

BJP suspends 58 Mumbai, Nagpur leaders for six years ahead of civic polls

The BJP has suspended 58 functionaries from Mumbai and Nagpur for a period of six years for breach of party discipline in the run up to the January 15 polls to 29 municipal corporations, the action coming amid dissent marking the campaign of almost all major outfits and alliances in the state. The suspended leaders include former mayors, corporators and key workers, who are accused of rebellion against official candidates, attempts to tarnish the party's image and failure to cooperate with Mahayuti contestants, Bharatiya Janata Party sources said on Saturday. The 58 comprise 26 in the metropolis, including Divya Dhole (Ward 60, Versova), Nehal Amar Shah (Ward 177, Matunga), Janhavi Rane (Ward 205, Abhyudayanagar), Asawari Patil (Ward 2, Borivli, currently contesting from Shiv Sena UBT), Mohan Ambekar (Ward 166, Kurla), Dhanashree Baghel (Ward 131, Pantnagar), they added. The 32 persons suspended in Nagpur include Vinayak Dehankar, husband of former mayor Archana Dehankar, as well as

Civic polls: NCP blocs release joint manifesto; Ajit Pawar, Sule share dais

The NCP, led by Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, and the NCP (SP), headed by his uncle Sharad Pawar, on Saturday released a joint manifesto for the upcoming elections to the Pune municipal corporation. Ajit Pawar and his cousin Supriya Sule, the working president of NCP (SP), shared the dais at a joint press conference, signalling growing proximity between the two factions after a bitter split in 2023. The NCP, although a member of the ruling Mahayuti, and NCP (SP), a constituent of the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi, have joined hands for the January 15 elections to Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad civic bodies. Sule and other NCP (SP) leaders, who had largely remained absent from the campaign so far, were present at the release of the manifesto. Addressing the gathering, Ajit Pawar said the manifesto focuses on key civic issues in Pune. The poll document assures tap water supply, easing of traffic congestion, pothole-free roads, cleanliness, hi-tech healthcare services, ...

Maharashtra declares public holiday on Jan 15 for civic polls in 29 cities

The Maharashtra State Election Commission on Friday announced that Thursday, January 15, will be a public holiday in areas falling under the 29 municipal corporations where polling for civic elections will be held, an official said. The holiday will apply to government and semi-government offices, corporations, boards, public undertakings, banks and central government offices within the jurisdiction of the civic bodies. The poll commission said administrative preparations, including readiness of EVMs (electronic voting machines), have been completed, and urged the public to take an active part in the democratic exercise. In a separate order, State Election Commissioner Dinesh Waghmare directed that adequate numbers of polling and counting personnel be appointed and that all such officials complete required training in time. He said strict action will be taken against those officials who skip the training. Waghmare issued the instruction during poll review meetings on January 6 and

Civic polls: Fadnavis pledges to ease traffic, fast-track metro projects

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has shared a comprehensive action plan for Thane and the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), pledging to ease traffic congestion and complete key Metro projects within five years. Speaking at a chat show here on Wednesday night as part of the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) campaign for the Thane Municipal Corporation polls scheduled on January 15, Fadnavis outlined a future defined by seamless connectivity and sustainable infrastructure. Fadnavis expressed his government's commitment to resolving the traffic congestion that plagues the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR). He said the government aims to complete all major Metro works by 2030. There are plans to link the Coastal Road into a "ring" to divert heavy traffic outside the city limits, he said. To address the bottleneck on Thane's arterial Ghodbunder Road, the CM announced the development of a "growth hub" at Kolshet-Diva, which will feature water taxi services. Addressing one of th

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

12 Congress councillors suspended after polls join BJP in Ambernath

Twelve newly elected councillors in the Ambernath Municipal Council, suspended by the Congress for aligning with the BJP after the polls, have formally joined the saffron party. Maharashtra Bharatiya Janata Party president Ravindra Chavan announced the development at the BJP office here late Wednesday night, asserting the move was not motivated by power but driven by a shared commitment to development. "The people elected these councillors and they had promised development to the citizens. They have come with us because the government is working in a dynamic manner and is capable of delivering justice and development to the people," he said. Following the local polls held on December 20, the BJP joined hands with its arch-rival, Congress, under the banner of 'Ambernath Vikas Aghadi' (AVA) to form the Ambernath Municipal Council (in Thane district) leadership, sidelining ally Shiv Sena, which emerged as the single largest party. The Aghadi also includes Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist ...