Mumbai, Jan 16: 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 are expected to emerge between 11:30 a.m and 12:30 p.m.

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. Elections to the 29 municipal corporations are being held after a gap of more than six years, since their tenure ended between 2020 and 23. Of these, nine are in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), India’s most urbanised belt.

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.

Mumbai: The BJP may have its first mayor in the country’s richest municipal corporation, BMC. This has been predicted by exit polls after the voting for the BMC elections ended. According to Axis My India, the BJP alliance can win 131 to 151 seats. UBT can win 58-68 seats. Congress alliance can win 12 to 15 seats. There are 227 wards in BMC, for which a majority of 114 seats is required.

According to Axis My India, UBT’s Marathi identity strategy worked in its favor in the BMC elections, but Shinde Sena and BJP also got the support of 30 percent Marathi voters. 49 percent Marathi voters voted for UBT-MNS. In contrast, 68% of North Indians supported the BJP-Shiv Sena, and 19% supported the Thackeray brothers. The Annamalai factor also supported the BJP. 61% of South Indian voters supported the BJP alliance, and 21% of South Indians supported the UBT. The UBT got Muslim votes in several areas. According to Axis My India, the BJP alliance is likely to win 131 to 151 seats. The UBT is likely to win 58-68 seats. The Congress alliance is likely to win 12 to 15 seats.

According to the survey, a change of guard is expected in the BMC. The BJP and Shiv Sena are likely to win 107-122 seats. Uddhav Thackeray is likely to win 68 to 87 seats. The Congress is likely to win 18-25 seats, and Ajit Pawar’s NCP is likely to win 2-4 seats. Others are likely to win 8-15 seats. BMC has a total of 227 seats, and 114 is the magic number for a majority.

According to the survey, the BJP alliance is expected to get 41% votes, while the Thackeray brothers are expected to get 33%. The Congress is likely to get 13%, the NCP 3% and others 10%. The Shiv Sena has been in power in BMC for a long time. Till now, the BJP has never been able to elect its own mayor. In these elections, the BJP led Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. If the BJP elects its own mayor, it will certainly fulfill a big dream of the party.

As part of the ongoing construction of the 6th railway line between Kandivali and Borivali, Western Railway will cancel 240 suburban local trains over two days, affecting commuters on January 17 and 18, 2026.

According to railway officials, 120 suburban services will be cancelled on Friday, January 17, and another 120 on Saturday, January 18, due to a major block being undertaken in the Borivali–Malad section. The block is part of a 30-day infrastructure programme linked to the 6th line project, which commenced on the night of December 20/21, 2025, and will conclude on January 18, 2026.

As per Western Railway, a major block will be imposed during the nights of January 16/17 and January 17/18. The block will be in effect from 11:15 pm to 3:15 am on the UP fast line and from 1:00 am to 4:30 am on the DOWN fast line between Borivali and Malad.

Railway authorities stated that due to the block, suspension of the 5th line, and the imposition of speed restrictions, several suburban services will remain cancelled during this period. However, efforts are being made to minimise inconvenience to passengers.

“Detailed information regarding affected services is available with the concerned Station Masters. Commuters have been advised to check train schedules in advance and plan their journeys accordingly to avoid inconvenience” said an official.