Key Points:
- Campaigning ends at 5:30 p.m. today for 29 municipal corporations across Maharashtra
- Voting scheduled for January 15 from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., results on January 16 at 10 a.m.
- Devendra Fadnavis holds massive roadshow in Nagpur, Eknath Shinde campaigns in Thane, Ajit Pawar in Pune-Pimpri Chinchwad
- BMC sees 1,700 candidates contesting 227 seats, with 879 women and 821 men
- Mahayuti alliance faces Maha Vikas Aghadi, MNS, and independents in multi-cornered contests
The frenzied election campaign for Maharashtra’s 29 municipal corporations will end at 5:30 p.m. today, Tuesday, marking the beginning of a 48-hour silence period before voting. According to election rules, the silence period prohibits loudspeakers, rallies, and public gatherings, allowing only door-to-door campaigning. Voting for all seats will take place on January 15 from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., with results announced on January 16 beginning at 10 a.m. The State Election Commission has directed candidates to remove all campaign material before the deadline. Dry days have been declared from January 13 to 16, and the administration has seized nearly Rs 42 lakh worth of cash, liquor, and narcotics to prevent voter influence.
Leaders Defend Strongholds
Three prominent leaders are making final efforts to defend their political bastions. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis conducted a massive roadshow in Nagpur, riding a Royal Enfield motorcycle through key city landmarks, including Bharat Mata Chowk, Teen Nal Chowk, and Shaheed Chowk. The roadshow began around 12:15 p.m. and drew huge crowds, with supporters cheering and waving flags. Nagpur has been an impregnable BJP fortress, and retaining it is crucial for Fadnavis’s prestige [original article]. Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde is camping in his political stronghold, Thane, where he must prove that people still stand with him after the Shiv Sena split. Deputy CM Ajit Pawar is campaigning in Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad, considered NCP power centers.
BMC, The Biggest Battle
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation election features 1,700 candidates contesting 227 seats, with 879 women and 821 men [original article]. Of the total seats, 114 are reserved for women, including SC, ST, and OBC categories, while 113 are for the General Category. The majority mark stands at 114 seats. The contest is four-cornered, with Mahayuti (BJP + Shinde Sena), Maha Vikas Aghadi (UBT + NCP Sharad Pawar + Congress), MNS, and independents facing off. Congress has announced 126 candidates across two lists after seat-sharing with Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi, which is contesting approximately 200 seats. The BJP-Shiv Sena alliance and Thackeray group are battling for Marathi voters, with surveys showing a divided Marathi vote and non-Marathi voters leaning toward the BJP-Shiv Sena.
Major Political Alliances
Several major parties and alliances are vying for power across Maharashtra. The Mahayuti alliance, comprising the BJP and the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, is contesting most seats together. The Indian National Congress is contesting independently, having released candidate lists for the BMC. The Sharad Pawar faction of NCP is also contesting independently as part of the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi, having declared candidates for seven Mumbai seats. The Uddhav Thackeray faction (Shiv Sena UBT) is actively campaigning with its own candidates. Raj Thackeray’s MNS is contesting some constituencies either in alliance with Uddhav Sena or independently. A large number of independent candidates are also in the fray.
