The Couting of votes for the Maharashtra municipal corporation elections begun on Friday. The polling concluded on Thursday evening across 29 civic bodies in the state.
Several exit poll results have hinted at a big win for the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance.
Voting was held for major civic bodies, including the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) and Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC). Election officials said the process remained largely peaceful, with no untoward incidents reported. However, some voters in Mumbai alleged that the indelible ink applied after voting could be wiped off.
Till 3.30 pm, overall voter turnout across the state stood between 46 and 50 per cent, State Election Commissioner Dinesh Waghmare said.
Kolhapur recorded the highest turnout at 50.85 per cent, followed by Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar at 43.67 per cent, Nagpur at 41.23 per cent, Mumbai at 41.08 per cent, Nashik at 39.64 per cent and Pune at 36.95 per cent.
The elections are significant for the Shiv Sena, marking its first BMC poll since the 2022 party split, when Eknath Shinde broke away with a majority of legislators and retained the party name and symbol. The undivided Shiv Sena had controlled the BMC, the country’s richest civic body, for 25 years.
Voting began at 7.30 am under tight security and ended at 5.30 pm. The focus remains on the BMC, where 1,729 candidates are contesting 227 seats.
BMC polls
Municipal Commissioner and District Election Officer Bhushan Gagrani said elaborate arrangements have been made to ensure a smooth, transparent and timely counting process, including security deployment, traffic management and law-and-order measures.
According to the BMC, 23 Returning Officers have been appointed for Mumbai’s 227 wards, with strong rooms and counting centres approved by the Public Works Department and the Police Department.
For the counting exercise, 2,299 officers and staff have been deployed, including 759 supervisors, 770 assistants and 770 Class IV employees. All personnel have undergone prior training, officials said.
Entry to counting centres will be restricted to authorised candidates, their representatives and accredited media personnel carrying valid identity cards issued by the Election Department.
Authorities have urged all stakeholders to strictly adhere to the instructions of the Maharashtra State Election Commission.