Overview
- Polling was held Thursday across 29 municipal corporations with 3.48 crore eligible voters, and counting is scheduled for January 16.
- In Mumbai’s BMC race, 1,700 candidates contested 227 single-member wards with about 1.03 crore voters, and 114 seats are needed for a majority.
- Exit polls by Axis My India and JVC projected a strong lead for the BJP–Eknath Shinde Shiv Sena alliance, estimating roughly 131–151 seats, with the Thackeray alliance second.
- Officials deployed tens of thousands of police and set up measures such as pink booths, priority assistance for seniors and PwDs, and secure strongrooms for EVMs.
- Voting day saw localized complaints over voter lists, SEC website access, and indelible-ink concerns; some voters, including MP Priyanka Chaturvedi, were directed to alternate booths while the SEC warned of legal action for attempted re-votes.