Mumbai: Polling will be held on Thursday for 29 municipal corporations in Maharashtra, including the high-stakes Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), with counting of votes scheduled on Friday.
While elections were originally scheduled for 2,869 seats, 68 candidates have been elected unopposed. Consequently, voting will now take place for 2,801 seats.
The 29 corporations include two newly-formed civic bodies — Jalna and Ichalkaranji. The list includes major cities like Nagpur, Pune, Thane, Nashik and Navi Mumbai, many of which have been functioning under administrators since their terms expired between 2020 and 2023.
A distinct voting method will be followed for different regions. In Mumbai (BMC), where a single-member ward system is applicable, each voter will cast only one vote to elect one representative for the ward. However, there is a multi-member ward system in 28 other corporations. Most wards will have four seats.
A major logistical exercise is underway to accommodate 3.48 crore eligible voters. According to the State Election Commission (SEC), there are 39,147 polling stations with 43,958 Control Units and 87,916 Ballot Units.
In Mumbai, there are 10,111 polling stations equipped with 11,349 Control Units and 22,698 Ballot Units.
The SEC has used the Assembly voter lists (as of July 1, 2025) for these polls. To prevent electoral fraud, potential duplicate names in the ward-wise lists have been marked with double asterisks (**). Such voters have been pre-verified through door-to-door visits.
If a voter with a marked name appears at a booth without prior verification, they must provide a formal undertaking (indemnity bond) and valid identity proof before being allowed to vote.
The SEC has launched a mobile app (available on Google Play Store) to help citizens find their names, polling booths and candidate details using their name or EPIC (Voter ID) number.
Senior citizens, persons with disabilities (PwD), pregnant women and mothers with infants will be given priority.
Ramps and wheelchairs have been mandated at all polling stations. In areas with high women voter density, special “Pink Booths” have been set up, staffed entirely by women officers and police personnel.
To prevent disputes and maintain secrecy, the SEC has strictly prohibited mobile phones inside polling booths.
(IANS)
