Overview
- Counting began at 10 a.m. under a new two-ward sequence that starts with 46 wards, a change BMC chief Bhushan Gagarani said could push final declarations by roughly an hour, with extensive CCTV and police security in place.
- Early trends show the BJP–Shiv Sena (Shinde) alliance leading in multiple Mumbai wards, after Axis My India exit polls projected 131–151 of 227 seats for the ruling bloc.
- The State Election Commission rejected claims that voter ink was easily erasable, warned that trying to remove it and vote again is an offence, and noted voter records block re‑voting; officials instructed staff to apply ink on skin, not just nails.
- Initial ward snapshots include BJP opening strong in parts of South Mumbai, Congress registering the first declared BMC win in Ward 183, and a Shinde Sena candidate posting an early victory as statewide tallies roll in across 29 corporations.
- With protests and communications blackouts continuing in Iran, Indian officials are physically reaching students to compile lists for charter flights, government sources said a first group could return Friday, and rights monitors report thousands dead and detained, with unverified reports alleging 'bullet fees' for bodies.