BMC Battle: BJP Mahayuti Leads as Mumbai Votes Count Begins
BMC Battle: BJP Mahayuti Leads as Mumbai Votes Count Begins
Mumbai's civic polls wrap with 46-50% turnout; exit polls hint at a BJP-led Mahayuti win in the BMC as counting starts Friday.
Polling across 29 municipal corporations, including the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, ended with turnout pegged in the 46-50% range. About 1,700 candidates were in the fray for 227 BMC seats, with the city’s budget topping ₹74,400 crore.
All eyes were on Mumbai, where the BJP-led Mahayuti is locked in a high-stakes battle with the Thackeray cousins for control of India's richest civic body. Early exit polls suggested a clear lead for the BJP alliance: Axis My India projected 131-151 seats for Mahayuti, while JVC put them at about 138 seats.
Outside Mumbai, 28 other urban bodies went to polls the same day, with multi-member wards shaping the race for local power. Counting is set to begin at 10 am on January 16 for the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, signaling when the city will get its official verdict. In Thane, women at the Kisan Nagar polling centre were seen showing ink marks on their fingers after casting their votes.
With the nation watching, the results are poised to shape governance across Maharashtra's urban landscape over the next five years.
