Nagpur: Polling commenced on Thursday across 29 municipal corporations in Maharashtra, with RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat casting his vote for the Nagpur Municipal Corporation elections. Emphasizing the significance of voting in a democracy, he urged citizens to choose candidates thoughtfully, prioritizing public welfare. Speaking to the media, he described voting as his “first responsibility of the day” and highlighted the drawbacks of NOTA, referencing Bhishma from the Mahabharata to caution against abstaining, saying it could indirectly benefit an undeserving candidate.

Polling is underway in key urban centres, including Mumbai, Pune, Nashik, Nagpur, Navi Mumbai, Thane, and Pimpri-Chinchwad, marking the culmination of a high-voltage campaign. In Maharashtra, the BJP and Shiv Sena are contesting together under the Mahayuti alliance, except in Pune where the two NCP factions have reunited. Mumbai remains a high-stakes battleground with Raj Thackeray and Uddhav Thackeray joining forces against the BJP-led Mahayuti for control of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).

A total of 3.48 crore voters are eligible across 2,869 seats in 893 wards, with 15,908 candidates contesting. Voting runs from 7:30 am to 5:30 pm, with counting scheduled for January 16. Adequate EVMs have been deployed, including 43,958 control units and 87,916 ballot units statewide, with Brihanmumbai alone receiving 11,349 control units and 22,698 ballot units. The elections, announced on December 15, 2025, cover municipal corporations including Brihanmumbai, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Navi Mumbai, Vasai-Virar, Kolhapur, Kalyan-Dombivli, Thane, Ulhasnagar, Nashik, Pune, Pimpri-Chinchwad, and others.