5 months ago
1
High play was reported crossed Maharashtra connected Friday (January 2, 2026), the past time for the withdrawal of candidature for the January 15 civic polls, with parties trading accusations of bribing and threatening each other’s candidates portion trying to transportation their ain rebel candidates to withdraw.
While addressing a Marathi literate lawsuit connected Friday (January 2), Chief Minister and elder Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) person Devendra Fadnavis urged rebel candidates to retreat their forms. “I ne'er reply calls from dais, but contiguous I person to arsenic rebel candidates volition not retreat without speaking to me.”
Dissent among the BJP fertile and record was reported from assorted parts of the State. In Solapur, 2 groups of BJP members vandalised the liaison bureau of erstwhile corporator Shankar Shinde. In Nagpur, Kisan Gawande and Vijay Hole received information forms from the BJP, lone for the enactment to inquire Mr. Gawande to measurement back, which caused his supporters to allegedly fastener him wrong his house.
“I recognize supporters’ feelings, but enactment orders request to beryllium followed,” said Mr. Gawande aft withdrawing his candidature. Fifteen BJP candidates won unopposed successful the Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation. Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) metropolis president Manoj Gharat withdrew his candidature and BJP campaigner Mahesh Patil was declared the winner. Shiv Sena’s Ram Repale won aft the Congress campaigner and the Independents withdrew from the polls. Nineteen Shiv Sena candidates won unopposed crossed 3 civic bodies.
Congratulating the winners, Shiv Sena main and Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said, “There is nary uncertainty that the saffron confederation volition hoist the emblem connected the Thane Municipal Corporation connected the 16th (the time of counting). An unopposed predetermination is simply a testament to the enactment done. Where the Opposition is definite of defeat, they retreat, and unopposed elections are held.”
‘Candidate theft’
Congress person Atul Londhe criticised the Election Commission and the ruling Mahayuti for “candidate theft”. “The ruling party, including Eknath Shinde, are threatening candidates from the Opposition parties and Independents to retreat their candidature,” Mr. Londhe alleged. MNS campaigner successful Panvel Yogesh Chile accused his Congress rival of offering ₹60 lakh to withdraw. Several Shiv Sena (UBT) candidates who did not person information forms, including Chandrashekhar Wingankar, filed information arsenic Independents. The full fig withdrawn information forms were 453, portion 1,700 candidates volition beryllium contesting for municipal corp elections successful Mumbai, arsenic per the BMC data.
Polling for 2,869 corporators successful 29 municipal corporations volition instrumentality spot connected January 15.
