Overview
- State BJP chief Ravindra Chavan said roughly 100 party councillors across municipal councils and nagar panchayats were elected without a contest, including three council presidents.
- Relatives of senior BJP figures declared elected unopposed include Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis’s cousin Alhad Kaloti, Girish Mahajan’s wife Sadhana Mahajan, and Jaykumar Rawal’s mother Nayan Kunwar Rawal.
- Congress and NCP (SP) alleged withdrawals and rejections were driven by threats, inducements and police pressure, with Vijay Wadettiwar calling it a trampling of democracy.
- The BJP rejected the accusations, with party media chief Navnath Ban asserting that only about five percent of its nominees are related to leaders and portraying the rest as grassroots workers.
- Uncontested victories also featured outside the BJP, as eight Ajit Pawar-led NCP candidates in Baramati were elected unopposed after rivals withdrew, while overall polling is set for December 2 with counting on December 3.