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Maharashtra Civic Polls Marked by High Drama as Candidacies Withdrawn Amidst Allegations
Mumbai, January 3, 2026 – The final day for withdrawing candidacies for Maharashtra’s civic polls, scheduled for January 15th, was marred by accusations of bribery and intimidation as parties scrambled to consolidate their positions. High drama unfolded across the state on Friday, January 2nd, with parties trading accusations.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis appealed to rebel BJP candidates to withdraw their nominations, acknowledging internal dissent within the party. Instances of vandalism were reported at a BJP office in Solapur, and in Nagpur, a candidate was allegedly confined to his home after being asked to step aside. Despite the turmoil, fifteen BJP candidates won unopposed in the Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation.
The Shiv Sena also celebrated victories, with nineteen candidates winning unopposed across three civic bodies. Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde expressed confidence in a saffron alliance victory, attributing unopposed wins to the government’s positive work.
However, the Congress party accused the ruling Mahayuti alliance of “candidate theft,” alleging that candidates were being threatened into withdrawing their nominations. The MNS also accused a Congress rival of offering a bribe for withdrawal.
Meanwhile, discontent within the Shiv Sena (UBT) led to some members filing nominations as independent candidates. A total of 453 nominations were withdrawn, leaving 1,700 candidates to contest the Mumbai municipal corporation elections.
The January 15th elections will determine 2,869 corporators across 29 municipal corporations in Maharashtra.
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