Mumbai, 2 December (H.S.):
The first phase of Maharashtra's local body elections commenced on Tuesday with a voter turnout of 7.94% recorded within the initial two hours from 7:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. Polling is underway across 264 municipal councils and nagar panchayats, with 6,042 seats and 264 council president positions up for election.
Voting will conclude by 5:30 p.m., with counting scheduled for December 3.Nearly one crore voters are eligible to exercise their franchise in this multi-tier rural and urban local elections cycle, mandated by the Supreme Court to conclude by January 31, 2026.
While voting proceeded peacefully across most regions, the Congress party has alleged fraudulent voting at a polling station in Buldhana, filing a formal complaint with authorities. Maharashtra Congress president Harshawardhan Sapkal accused the state government and ruling parties of conspiring to manipulate votes.
The State Election Commission had earlier postponed elections in approximately 22 municipal councils and panchayats due to procedural irregularities and court rulings, triggering political discontent.
The ruling Mahayuti alliance witnessed internal strife during the campaign, marked by public spats between Shiv Sena and BJP leaders, including Eknath Shinde and Devendra Fadnavis, who traded indirect barbs. Tensions also extended to comments on Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, illustrating the complexities within Maharashtra's political landscape.
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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar
