Counting of votes has begun in the Maharashtra municipal corporation elections, with a focus on the Mumbai battle between the BJP-led alliance and the Thackeray factions.
Polling for 2,869 seats spread across 893 wards in these municipal corporations began amid tight security at 7.30 am and will conclude at 5.30 pm. A total of 3.48 crore voters are eligible to decide the fate of 15,931 candidates.
Alisha Khan, wife of a key accused in the 2023 Nagpur riots case, has won civic polls on an AIMIM ticket. Her husband, Fahim Khan, is accused of involvement in violence following rumors related to religious inscriptions and protests.
Polling is being held on Thursday across 29 municipal corporations in Maharashtra.
Popular Odia music composer and singer Abhijit Majumdar passed away at the age of 54 while undergoing treatment at AIIMS Bhubaneswar. He had been suffering from hypertension, hypothyroidism, and chronic liver disease.
A BMC spokesperson said the average voter turnout stood at 29.96 per cent till 1.30 pm in the metropolis, which has more than 1 crore eligible electors.
Exit polls predict a clear victory for the BJP-Shiv Sena alliance in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections, while forecasting a defeat for the Shiv Sena (UBT)-Maharashtra Navnirman Sena alliance. Polls also predict results for Pune and Thane.
The fresh incident follows killing of nearly 500 stray dogs in different districts of Telangana since January 6.
Maharashtra heads to the polls for 29 municipal corporations, with Mumbai's BMC election taking center stage as the BJP-led Mahayuti faces off against the Thackeray front. Key issues include promises for women, pollution control, and the city's financial health.
With the Congress coming third overall and having done much better than Shiv Sena-UBT and NCP-SP, its allies in Maha Vikas Aghadi, political analysts said it will force a rethink as far as coordination, seat-sharing and leadership are concerned ahead of the 2029 assembly polls.
Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray demands cancellation of civic elections where candidates won unopposed, alleging corruption and manipulation by ruling parties. He also criticizes the Maharashtra legislative assembly speaker and the misuse of BMC funds.
The Maharashtra municipal elections showed a troubling shift, where votes were traded for cash, convictions no longer mattered, and ideology became an afterthought, observes Ramesh Menon.
Pangarkar had contested as an Independent candidate from electoral ward No. 13. He defeated his nearest rival, Raosaheb Dhoble of the BJP.
Vedanta Kalinga Lancers beat Ranchi Royals 3-2 in final to clinch men''s HIL title
The tactical alliance between the Shiv Sena-Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray and the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) may not have aided the Thackeray cousins to win the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, but the pact helped them keep intact their traditional strongholds.
Odisha and Uttar Pradesh are among the first to roll out the digital exercise.
Electors in the upcoming Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) polls will be required to present either a voter photo ID card or any one of the 12 alternative identity documents approved by the State Election Commission to cast their vote, officials said.
The BJP has expanded its footprint in Maharashtra following strong performance in assembly elections, while other parties are seeing their political bases shrink, according to a party official. The assessment is based on the BJP's performance in civic polls across 29 municipal corporations.
Multi-cornered contests, deep divisions within the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi, reflected in the Congress and Shiv Sena-Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray fighting separately and lack of a robust plan among its rivals helped the Bharatiya Janata Party in Mumbai polls as it looks poised to rule India's richest civic body for the first time.
Shrikant Pangarkar is in the fray from ward 13. His opponents are candidates from the BJP and several other parties, though the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena has not fielded a contestant.
The BJP withdrew Pooja More-Jadhav's candidature in the Pune civic polls after old videos surfaced showing her making remarks against Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and his wife.
Cricketer Mohammed Shami was asked to appear for the SIR verification hearing in Kolkata, officials said on Tuesday.
'A poor candidate was given a chance so that the concerns of ordinary, needy citizens could be represented.'
Vedanta Kalinga Lancers booked their spot in the final of the Men's Hockey India League with a 2-1 win against Ranchi Royals at the Kalinga Stadium, in Bhubaneswar, on Friday.
Breaking the nearly three-decade-old dominance of the undivided Shiv Sena, the Bharatiya Janata Party on Friday emerged victorious in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections, and also vanquished the alliance of Nationalist Congress Party factions led by Sharad Pawar and Ajit Pawar in the Pune civic body.
Parties in Maharashtra are engaged in intense negotiations to finalize seat sharing arrangements for the upcoming Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections scheduled for January 15.
Slain Bangladeshi student leader Sharif Osman Hadi's party rejects the police chargesheet in his murder case, accusing the state machinery of involvement. The party warns of potential retaliation if justice is not served, alleging a broader conspiracy beyond the individuals charged.
Despite the deficit, Toofans remained on the front foot in search of a goal that would get them back in the game. They registered 8 circle entries and a couple of penalty corners in the third quarter.
AICC general secretary K C Venugopal announced the Congress party's goal to win 100 seats in the upcoming Kerala Assembly elections. He highlighted the party's strategy, including early candidate selection, opportunities for youth, and addressing alleged alliances between CPI(M) and BJP.
The BJP-Shiv Sena alliance has made significant progress in challenging the Thackeray family's control over Mumbai's Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) after nearly 25 years. The results mark a potential shift in Mumbai's civic politics, with the BJP emerging as a central force.
BJP leader V V Rajesh was elected mayor of Thiruvananthapuram Corporation, marking the party's first-ever victory in a municipal corporation in Kerala. The election saw other mayoral contests across the state, with UDF and LDF also securing victories.
The BJP and its Mahayuti allies have won 68 seats unopposed in the Maharashtra civic polls scheduled for January 15, even as the Opposition parties alleged the ruling combine used threats and money to force candidates to withdraw from the fray.
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections were marred by widespread complaints of voter list discrepancies, missing names, and confusion, impacting voters and election staff alike.
Two suspected cases of Nipah virus have been detected in West Bengal, prompting a national outbreak response team to be deployed. The central government is providing full support to the state.
S Padma, a street cleaner in Chennai, found a box full of gold worth more than Rs 45 lakh and returned it. 'I have been sweeping the streets of Chennai for 21 years. Nobody in the street knew me. I was just a faceless, nameless sanitation worker in an orange and blue uniform.'
According to Election Commission data, Bhabanipur had 2,06,295 voters as of January 2025. The draft rolls now carry 1,61,509 names, indicating that 44,787 voters, nearly 21.7 per cent of the electorate, have been deleted.
The Supreme Court has directed the Election Commission to display the names of those on the 'logical discrepancies' list at various public offices in West Bengal, addressing concerns about irregularities in the voter rolls.
Zampella was reportedly driving a Ferrari south along the Crest Highway when the accident occurred. While the video game creator died on the scene in the fire, another passenger was subsequently pronounced dead at a hospital.
Campaigning for the elections to 29 municipal corporations in Maharashtra has ended, with the battle for Mumbai's BMC taking center stage. Key political players are vying for control, with a focus on Marathi and Hindu voters.
HIL GC beat Shrachi Bengal Tigers 6-3 in a high-scoring men's HIL clash
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