BMC, Other Maharashtra Civic Body Polls Tomorrow: 10 Questions Answered

The campaigning for local body elections in Maharashtra's metropolitan cities has ended. Voting will be held tomorrow, on January 15, in 29 municipal corporations in the state. This is being considered a crucial test ahead of the 2029 assembly elections, with multiple parties that witnessed a split now staking claim to power.

Here are 10 big questions answered ahead of the mega civic contest in Maharashtra:

1. How many seats are being contested?

Voting will be held in 2,869 seats across 29 municipal corporations on January 15. This is the largest electoral phase for local self-governing bodies till date.

2. How many candidates are contesting?

A total of 15,931 candidates are in the electoral contest. This means, on an average, five to six candidates are competing for each seat.

3. Which cities are under the spotlight?

All eyes are on Mumbai. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is Asia's richest municipal corporation. Besides, the future of major cities like Pune, Thane, Nagpur, and Sambhaji Nagar will also be decided tomorrow.

4. Who are the main contenders?

The contest is between the Mahayuti, comprising the BJP, Shiv Sena-Shinde, and NCP-Ajit Pawar, and the opposition, Maha Vikas Aghadi, consisting of Shiv Sena (UBT), the Congress, NCP-Sharad Pawar. Raj Thackeray's MNS is playing the role of "kingmaker" in several seats, fighting alongside his brother Uddhav Thackeray's Sena (UBT).

5. What are the main election issues?

During the municipal elections campaign, infiltration, Marathi identity, and Hindutva emerged as more prominent issues than civic matters.

6. What preparations have been made for the polls?

Strong rooms have been prepared in all 29 cities for tomorrow's elections. Electronic voting machines (EVM) are kept under tight security. Sensitive areas are being monitored with drones and CCTV cameras. Thousands of police personnel along with SRPF units have been deployed in all metropolitan cities, including Mumbai. Blockades have been set up at the borders to prevent fraudulent voting. This time, finding names and obtaining digital information has been made easier through the Maha SEC portal and the Voter Helpline app.

7. What preparations have been made in Mumbai?

More than 28,000 police personnel have been heavily deployed on the streets and at polling stations in Mumbai. This massive security force is being led by 10 Additional Commissioner and 33 Deputy Commissioner-level police officers. Strong rooms and sensitive polling stations are being closely monitored through CCTV and drones to prevent any kind of disturbance.

8. Is January 15 a holiday?

Yes, a public holiday has been declared on the polling day in the respective municipal corporation areas to ensure maximum voter turnout. 'Dry day' has been imposed for four days during January 13-16 (until the completion of vote counting) in all the election-bound cities, including Mumbai. The stock exchanges, BSE and NSE, will also remain closed on Thursday.

9. Will free gifts and money distribution impact voting?

Even in the final hours of campaigning, the scenario remained heated over allegations of distribution of free gifts and money to voters. Clashes between the rival party workers remained a topic of discussion in several areas. The Election Commission is keeping a close eye on such complaints.

10. When will the results be announced?

The counting of votes will begin on January 16, a day after polling concludes on January 15. On January 16 itself, the victories and defeats are likely to be public. Around 68 candidates across the state have already been elected unopposed, with the Mahayuti alliance (BJP-Shinde-Ajit Pawar) appearing to have the upper hand.