Overview
- A Supreme Court bench of Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi will begin the Shiv Sena symbol final hearing on January 21, 2026, followed by the related NCP case on January 22, with three hours allotted to each faction.
- The State Election Commission has slated voting for 246 municipal councils and 42 nagar panchayats on December 2, with counting on December 3.
- Maha Vikas Aghadi leaders announced a state-level coordination committee and left first-phase seat pacts to local units, while the inclusion of Raj Thackeray’s MNS remains unsettled.
- The BJP appointed Chandrashekhar Bawankule as Maharashtra election in-charge, named 40 star campaigners, and outlined district coordination committees, with plans to run with allies in some areas and solo in others.
- Factional maneuvering is intensifying: NCP rivals teamed up in Chandgad with similar local tie-ups under discussion, NCP-SP ruled out a tie-up with Ajit Pawar’s faction in Pune, and Eknath Shinde will chair a new BMC poll-prep committee on November 13.