We won’t declare winners till inquiry reports are submitted, says State Election Commission

Maharashtra State Election Commission has ordered a probe into reports of unopposed elections of candidates successful the State for the municipal corp elections to beryllium held connected January 15. “We person asked each the section authorities to taxable a study to us. This is simply a portion of regular process whenever different candidates retreat nominations and lone 1 campaigner remains successful the fray,” an authoritative of the State Election Commission told The Hindu. He said that the SEC volition cheque if the nominations were withdrawn nether duress, owed to immoderate unit oregon owed to immoderate allurement.

Hinting that results successful specified wards mightiness beryllium delayed, the authoritative said determination was nary clip stipulation for the submission of reports from there. The elections are to beryllium held connected January 15. The results volition beryllium declared connected January 16. “There is nary deadline. The study tin beryllium submitted aft January 16 too. We volition not state the authoritative results till these reports are submitted to us,” helium said.

Several candidates withdrew their nominations connected the past time of withdrawal of nominations connected Friday (January 2, 2026), thereby starring to a concern wherever lone 1 campaigner remained successful the fray. Though authoritative fig of specified victories is not yet known, media reports person pegged the fig astatine implicit 60.

“We bash not yet person the authoritative fig arsenic the returning officers oregon commissioners person not yet submitted their last study to us. We volition travel to cognize however galore specified cases person happened, lone erstwhile we get the reports from the section level,” an authoritative of the State Election Commission told The Hindu connected Saturday (January 3, 2026) morning.

Withdrawals nether duress?

While videos of calls by salient leaders to their ain winning candidates did rounds connected societal media and connected quality channels, the State Election Commission has said that it is portion of mean process to recheck the concern astatine specified wards. Withdrawal of nominations by each different candidates but 1 needed deeper scrutiny connected whether immoderate different factors were astatine play, officials said. The absorption has slammed the State Election Commission, claiming that their candidates were pressurised to retreat nominations. Yashwant Jadhav, an MNS leader, claimed to the media that his party’s campaigner was offered Rs 5 Crore. A BJP person has denied these allegations.

Elections to 893 wards from 29 municipal corporations volition beryllium held connected January 15 successful Maharashtra. For 2,869 seats, 33,606 candidates had filed their nominations, arsenic per the State Election Commission. The last fig of nominations is not yet known arsenic the past time for the withdrawal of nominations was January 2.