Maharashtra civic polls: Voting underway in 29 municipal corporations; high-stakes Mumbai battle for 227 BMC seats

Voting continues in 29 municipal corporations, including Mumbai. Polling began at 7:30 am. The BMC election has turned into a matter of prestige for the Thackeray family. Read the full story…

Voting is underway today in 29 municipal corporations in Maharashtra. Polling began at 7:30 AM and will continue until 5:30 PM. The results for the municipal corporation elections will be declared on Friday. The most interesting contest is in Mumbai, where a political battle is being fought for 227 seats of the BMC between the Mahayuti, Shiv Sena (Uddhav), and MNS. The majority mark here is 114.

Mohan Bhagwat Casts Vote

Crowds have been seen at polling booths since morning. RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat and Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar cast their votes early in the morning. Both appealed to the public to exercise their right to vote. Out of Mumbai's 227 seats, the BJP is contesting on 137 seats, while Shinde's Shiv Sena has fielded candidates in 90 seats.

Meanwhile, Shiv Sena (UBT) has formed an alliance with MNS. Uddhav's party will contest on 63 seats, while Raj Thackeray's party is fighting elections on 52 seats. In the local body elections, the Congress has allied with the Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA). Congress is contesting on 143 seats, while the VBA has been allocated 46 seats. The NCP has not joined hands with anyone and is in the electoral fray for 94 seats.

Thackeray's Uninterrupted Rule from 1996 to 2017

The BMC election has become a battle of prestige for the Thackeray family. They have held sway over the BMC from 1996 to 2017. This is the first time after the Shiv Sena's split that one faction is led by Eknath Shinde, while the family remains with Uddhav Thackeray. In this context, the election will determine whether the people of Mumbai accept Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena in the coming days or stand with the Thackeray family. On the other hand, this election is also historic for the BJP. If the party wins the BMC elections on its own for the first time, it will be considered a major political victory for CM Devendra Fadnavis as well.

Shiv Sena Won 42 Seats in 1968

Bal Thackeray founded the Shiv Sena in 1966. In the 1968 BMC elections, the party won 42 out of 140 seats. Since then, the party has continuously strengthened its position in Mumbai. Even when Raj Thackeray parted ways in 2006, the Shiv Sena was not significantly affected. In the last BMC elections held in 2017, the Shiv Sena won 84 seats and retained the Mayor's post.