The campaign period for the upcoming municipal council and nagar panchayat elections in Maharashtra has been extended. Candidates can now continue canvassing and promoting their agendas until 10:00 pm on December 1 (Monday), just a day before the polls slated for December 2 (Tuesday).
Election schedule and voting details
Maharashtra will hold elections for 246 municipal councils and 42 nagar panchayats on December 2, with vote counting and result announcements scheduled for December 3 (Wednesday). Municipal corporation elections are expected to be conducted later in January 2026.
Mahayuti alliance's confidence and unity
Maharashtra Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule expressed confidence that the Mahayuti alliance- comprising Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, and Ajit Pawar’s NCP- will secure over 51 per cent of the vote share and win the majority of seats. He assured that any disagreements within the alliance would be resolved post-election to maintain unity.
Election preparations and governance commitment
Bawankule emphasised the enthusiasm among voters for Mahayuti candidates and credited the Devendra Fadnavis government with effectively addressing local governance issues. He highlighted coordinated efforts to contest elections together where possible and avoid internal conflicts, underscoring a commitment to a united front for the upcoming local body polls.
Aaditya Thackeray slams Maharashtra SEC over voter list date discrepancy
Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Aaditya Thackeray highlighted discrepancies in Mumbai's draft voters' list for the December 2 local body elections across 246 municipal councils. Initially set for November 7, publication was delayed to November 14, then officially uploaded by evening on November 20 via the Maharashtra State Election Commission (SEC) website.
Shocking date mismatch discovery
Thackeray revealed that an office bearer purchased the list from BMC's central election office on Saturday, only to find it stamped with a November 14 publication date—contradicting the official November 20 upload. This mismatch, he argued, was uncovered post-purchase from the designated authority.
Allegations of malpractice and delays
Questioning the week-long hold after November 14, Thackeray accused the SEC of awaiting "orders from political bosses" to insert irregularities. He demanded answers on who accessed the list during that period and labeled the delay a deliberate cover for malpractice.
'Anti-national' and criminal claims
Thackeray branded the incident "anti-national" and a "crime," not a mere error, implicating BMC's central office and SEC in anti-democratic actions. He vowed to expose further "crimes" soon, amid broader opposition concerns over duplicates and fake entries in voter rolls.