Mumbai

Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray on Thursday demanded action against the Maharashtra State Election Commissioner, questioning the prolonged delay in holding municipal elections across the state.

Speaking to reporters after casting his vote, Thackeray said it must be made public how the Election Commissioner is remunerated and sought accountability for the nine-year gap in conducting the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation elections.

“The BMC polls are taking place after nine years. What was the Election Commissioner and the staff doing all these years? Action should be taken against those responsible,” he said.

Thackeray also appealed to voters to participate actively in the elections, stating that he and his family had voted together. “We urge citizens in all constituencies where elections are being held to come out and vote,” he added.

Polling is underway in 29 municipal corporations across Maharashtra following an intense campaign, with major urban centres such as Mumbai, Pune, Thane, Navi Mumbai, Nashik, Nagpur and Pimpri-Chinchwad witnessing high-stakes contests.

The BJP-led Mahayuti is contesting most civic bodies as an alliance, except in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad, where the Ajit Pawar-led NCP has joined hands with the Sharad Pawar faction under a joint manifesto.

Mumbai and Pune remain the principal battlegrounds, with the Mahayuti facing a united Thackeray camp. Ahead of the polls, Uddhav Thackeray and MNS chief Raj Thackeray came together on the “son of the soil” plank in a bid to challenge the BJP in the BMC, the country’s wealthiest civic body.

The previous BMC elections were held in 2017.

In Pune, both factions of the NCP reunited ahead of the civic polls, marking a significant political shift after the party’s split in 2023. Meanwhile, the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena opted to contest the Pune Municipal Corporation elections independently after seat-sharing talks with the BJP failed.

According to the State Election Commission, over 3.48 crore voters are eligible to decide the fate of 15,908 candidates contesting 2,869 seats across 893 wards in 29 municipal corporations. A total of 39,092 polling centres have been set up across the state.

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Voting is being held from 7.30 am to 5.30 pm on Thursday, with counting scheduled for January 16.