New Delhi: The BJP-led alliance has taken an early lead in the high-stakes Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections, according to initial trends, as counting of votes began on Friday for civic body polls across Maharashtra.
The results are being closely watched, with elections held for 29 municipal bodies after a long gap of nearly nine years.
Early leads indicate that the BJP alliance is ahead in 34 wards in Mumbai’s BMC. Of these, the Bharatiya Janata Party is leading in 25 wards, while Chief Minister Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena faction has taken the lead in nine wards.
Close on their heels are the Thackeray cousins, who are mounting a strong challenge to retain their influence over India’s richest civic body.
The Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) is leading in 23 wards, while Raj Thackeray’s Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) is ahead in three wards, taking the combined Thackeray camp tally to 26 wards. The contest is being seen as a prestige battle, particularly in Mumbai, where control of the BMC carries significant political and financial clout.
The BMC, which has an annual budget exceeding Rs 74,400 crore, went to polls after a four-year delay. A total of 1,700 candidates were in the fray for 227 seats in Mumbai alone, reflecting the intense competition among political parties.
Exit polls had earlier predicted that the Thackeray factions could consolidate Maratha and Muslim votes, while the Congress was expected to retain its hold over minority-dominated pockets.
Across Maharashtra, polling was held on Thursday for 2,869 seats spread across 893 wards in 29 civic bodies. As many as 3.48 crore voters were eligible to cast their ballots to decide the fate of 15,931 candidates contesting the elections statewide.
Apart from Mumbai, Pune is another major battleground drawing attention. The city witnessed an unusual political alignment, with the two rival factions of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), led by Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and his uncle, Rajya Sabha MP Sharad Pawar, joining hands for the municipal polls. The outcome in Pune is expected to offer key insights into the evolving power dynamics within the NCP ahead of future state and national elections.
With counting still underway, political parties remain cautious, as early leads can shift significantly. Final results are expected to shape Maharashtra’s local governance landscape.
(IANS)
