Shiv Sena Confident as Maharashtra Municipal Vote Counting Begins

Speaking to IANS, Shiv Sena leader Shaina NC said the public has shown strong support for the Mahayuti alliance.

"Whether it is the Lok Sabha, Vidhan Sabha or municipal corporation elections, the outcome has been consistent. In terms of development, the partnership of Eknath Shinde and Devendra Fadnavis is seen as unparalleled. The message from the people is very clear - those who work from home should remain at home politically, while those who work on the ground are the ones who receive the people's mandate," she said.

Another Shiv Sena leader, Manisha Kayande, said that while exit polls serve a purpose, they often present varying figures.

"We have full confidence in the work done by our leadership. Over the past three and a half years in Mumbai, under the leadership of respected Eknath Shinde and later Devendra Fadnavis, the city has witnessed unprecedented development and significant infrastructure growth," she said.

Kayande further added that the consistent development work carried out by the Mahayuti government has strengthened public trust, and the results of the civic body elections would reflect the people's confidence in the alliance's governance and vision for Maharashtra's urban development.

The counting of votes for the 29 municipal corporations in Maharashtra, including the high-stakes BMC, started at 10 a.m. on Friday.

The process is being carried out across designated counting centres in Mumbai, Pune, Thane, and other major cities under tight security.

Early postal ballot trends and the first rounds of EVM counting were emerging. Due to the "phased counting" method and the large number of candidates (over 1,700 in Mumbai alone), final official declarations for many wards may stretch to late evening.

The State Election Commission (SEC) reported a respectable turnout, which often signals a desire for change or a highly polarised electorate.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation reported 52.94 per cent turnout (highest in Bhandup at 64.53 per cent, lowest in Colaba at 20.88 per cent), Pune (PMC): 54 per cent, Pimpri-Chinchwad (PCMC): 58 per cent, and Kolhapur: 70 per cent.

Counting began under a cloud of controversy. Both Shiv Sena(UBT) chief Uddhav and MNS president Raj Thackeray have alleged that "indelible" marker pens were used instead of traditional ink, claiming they could be easily erased to facilitate bogus voting.

The SEC has denied these claims, stating the ink takes time to dry. The SEC has already announced a probe in the wake of a row over wiping off indelible ink.

While elections were originally scheduled for 2,869 seats, including 227 in the BMC, they were held for 2,801 seats as 68 candidates were elected unopposed.

A total of 3.48 crore voters decided the fate of 15,931 candidates, including 1,729 in Mumbai.

The battlegrounds included Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Navi Mumbai, Vasai-Virar, Kalyan-Dombivli, Kolhapur, Nagpur, Mumbai, Solapur, Amravati, Akola, Nashik, Pimpri-Chinchwad, Pune, Ulhasnagar, Thane, Chandrapur, Parbhani, Mira-Bhayandar, Nanded-Waghala, Panvel, Bhiwandi-Nizampur, Latur, Malegaon, Sangli-Miraj-Kupwad, Jalgaon, Ahilyanagar, Dhule, Jalna and Ichalkaranji.

The victory for the BJP-led Mahayuti in BMC and other corporations is crucial for the installation of a triple-engine rule in the civic bodies. On the other hand, the Thackeray brothers will face an existential crisis and a challenge to keep their unity intact in future.

- IANS