Maharashtra civic polls LIVE: Spotlight on Mumbai as 29 civic bodies go to polls today

Vice Chairperson of the Uttar Pradesh Women’s Commission and BJP leader Aparna Yadav on Wednesday (January 14, 2026) expressed confidence over the BJP-Shiv Sena’s prospects in the upcoming Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections, citing strong public enthusiasm.

Aparna Yadav said she observed a highly positive atmosphere at rallies, with strong participation from women. She noted that women voters were turning up in significant numbers and showing strong support for the ruling alliance candidates.

“I came here to campaign, and I saw a very positive atmosphere here. I noted the enthusiasm among participants, especially the participation of women; there were many women at every rally. Their support for Mahayuti is very positive. This [Mumbai Mayor candidate] will be a joint decision; we can leave it to be decided in due course. But I also know that whatever the leadership decides, Mumbai will have one such Mayor who will do politics of development,” she said to ANI.

-ANI

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde paid tributes to his political mentor Anand Dighe at his memorial in Thane on the eve (January 14, 2026) of the municipal corporation elections.

Addressing the media, Mr. Shinde appealed to citizens to vote in large numbers.

“I appeal to the maximum number of citizens to come out and vote so that the voting percentage goes up,” Mr. Shinde said.

-PTI

Police arrested six persons and detained two juveniles on Wednesday (January 14, 2026), a day after the husband of a Congress candidate contesting civic polls in Nanded was attacked on suspicion of distributing cash to voters, officials said.

The complainant Shivaji Bhalerao and his friend Dnyaneshwar Kamble were attacked by a group of six to seven men who arrived on three motorcycles on Tuesday in Bhagyanagar area.

Police registered a case under various sections of the Bhartiya Nyay Sanhita (BMS), the Arms Act, and the Maharashtra Police Act.

-PTI

On the eve of elections to 29 municipal corporations, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray and Shiv Sena (UBT) president Uddhav Thackeray on Wednesday criticised the State Election Commission (SEC) over its move to use printing auxiliary display units (PADUs) to facilitate vote counting for the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) poll if technical glitches arise in electronic voting machines (EVMs).

Mr. Raj accused the SEC of keeping political parties in the dark about PADUs while Mr. Uddhav wrote to the poll body alleging that it was “acting in favour of the ruling Mahayuti”.

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More than 3.48 crore voters will cast their ballots on Thursday (January 15, 2026) in elections to 29 municipal corporations, including Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), in Maharashtra, choosing 2,869 corporators from among 15,908 candidates, following an intense, high-pitched campaign by all six major political parties in the State.

All eyes are on the Mumbai municipal corporation, the country’s richest civic body, where cousins Uddhav Thackeray and Raj Thackeray have reunited after two decades. In all other cities except Mumbai, voters will cast multiple votes for the first time to choose multiple corporators for each ward, under the panel system. In Mumbai, however, voters will have to cast a single vote due to the traditional one-ward-one-corporator model.

Counting of votes will be held on Friday (January 16, 2026).

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