Overview
- Voting across 29 municipal corporations runs from 7:30 am to 5:30 pm on January 15, with counting on January 16, according to the State Election Commission.
- About 3.48 crore voters are eligible statewide; in Mumbai, 1.03 crore voters will choose 227 corporators from 1,700 candidates.
- More than 25,000 police personnel with specialized units will be deployed in Mumbai, and election machines and strong rooms have been checked and secured.
- The contest for the cash-rich BMC features the BJP-led Mahayuti facing a reunited Thackeray front of Shiv Sena (UBT) and MNS, with Congress aligned with the VBA and the NCP factions taking varying approaches across cities.
- The SEC enforced the campaign-silence window after January 13, sought reports on unopposed wins and alleged cash distribution, clarified door-to-door outreach is allowed under existing rules, and noted 68 candidates were elected unopposed.