Mumbai: The highly anticipated municipal council elections in Maharashtra are expected to kick off between November 15 and 20, followed by Zilla Parishad polls around December 15–20. According to sources, elections for all municipal corporations, including the cash-rich Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), are likely to be held on January 15.
The political buzz has intensified amid speculations of a possible alliance between Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray and his cousin, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray. However, the ruling BJP has dismissed the prospects of their partnership, saying it would not affect the outcome of the civic polls.
The meeting between the two Thackerays came days after Uddhav described his ties with Raj as “long-term,” sparking talks of a renewed partnership. Currently, the BJP, NCP, and Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) form the ruling Mahayuti alliance, while Uddhav’s Sena is part of the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi with the Congress and NCP (Sharad Pawar faction).
Before the 2022 split in the Shiv Sena, the party had controlled the BMC for over two decades.
Meanwhile, the Maharashtra State Election Commission has approved the ward boundaries for the upcoming BMC polls. The finalised ward structure was published in the state government gazette and uploaded on the BMC’s official website on Monday.
Officials said the commission had received 492 suggestions and objections before the September 4 deadline. Hearings were conducted between September 11 and 13 before the ward formation was finalised. Earlier, a draft delimitation notification was issued on August 22, inviting feedback from citizens.
