BMC election 2026 highlights: SEC bars advance 'Ladki Bahin' payment after Opposition flags code violation

BMC elections 2026 live updates: "They are the ones responsible for the plight of Marathi manoos today. Marathi manoos was thrown out of Mumbai during your tenure. Whose failure is it if you controlled the BMC for 25 years?" said Eknath Shinde.

BMC elections 2026 live updates: Union minister and RPI (A) chief Ramdas Athawale on Monday said Uddhav Thackeray would not have lost the Shiv Sena’s bow-and-arrow symbol had he continued his alliance with the BJP after the 2019 Maharashtra Assembly elections.

"Had he stayed with the BJP, the bow-and-arrow symbol would have remained with him. Late Balasaheb Thackeray opposed the Congress, but Uddhav Thackeray joined hands with the same party to become chief minister," Athawale said.

Athawale, whose party is part of the NDA, criticized Uddhav for aligning with the Congress and breaking away from the BJP-led alliance after the polls.

BMC elections 2026 live updates: Speaking at an election rally, CM Devendra Fadnavis said Marathi is the only compulsory language in the state.

BMC elections 2026 live updates: The BJP's Mumbai unit on Monday shared an old photo of MNS chief Raj Thackeray with billionaire industrialist Gautam Adani day after Thackeray levelled allegations against him. Mumbai BJP chief Ameet Satam shared an old photograph of Adani's visit to Thackeray's residence and described the MNS leader as "pretentious and the height of double standards". Thackeray, on Sunday during a joint rally with the Shiv Sena (UBT) at Dadar's Shivaji Park, made a detailed presentation, including displaying a map on a giant screen, on Adani's "rapid rise" after Narendra Modi became prime minister in 2014.

BMC elections 2026 live updates: As Maharashtra State Election Commission barred the government from releasing the January instalment of the 'Ladki Bahin' scheme in advance, it cited the enforcement of the model code of conduct for municipal elections.

The SEC's clarification came after it received several complaints following media reports claiming that beneficiaries of the scheme would receive ₹3,000- covering the December and January instalments- in their bank accounts before January 14 as a Makar Sankranti gift. Read full story here.

BMC elections 2026 live updates: Maharashtra's State Election Commission on Monday barred the government from releasing the January instalment of the 'Ladki Bahin' scheme in advance, citing the enforcement of the model code of conduct for municipal elections, PTI reported. This came after SEC received several complaints following media reports claiming that beneficiaries of the scheme would receive ₹3,000- covering the December and January instalments- in their bank accounts before January 14 as a Makar Sankranti gift.

BMC elections 2026 live updates: As Maharashtra gears for local body polls on January 15, Pune District Collector Jitendra Dudi on Monday said that all polling arrangements have been completed and security measures are firmly in place. “The Election will take place on 15 January. All the necessary arrangements have been made. Nomination process completed 10 days ago. Polling parties will arrive on 14 January here, and the police administration has taken all the measures regarding security arrangements,” Dudi was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.

BMC elections 2026 live updates: Following a week of high-pitched political drama, Shiv Sena-backed Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) councillor Sadashiv Hender Patil was on Monday elected vice-president of the Ambernath Municipal Council (AMC) in Maharashtra by defeating the BJP nominee.

BMC elections 2026 live updates: Shinde-led Shiv Sena on Monday released its manifesto for the January 15 Thane civic polls. Among other things, the document promises a slum-free city and an iconic 260-metre viewing tower.

Here are the highlights of the manifesto:

• Extensive road works, new flyovers, and improved connectivity
• A landmark 260-metre-high viewing tower near Mogharpada
• A larger ₹8,000 crore development project that will include a convention centre, an audience gallery, a hotel, and a mall
• 'Arogya Apala Dari' scheme for senior citizens
• Recreation centres and employment opportunities for the disabled
• Vertical sports complexes to come up under the cluster scheme along with international-standard facilities at the Dadoji Konddev Stadium

BMC elections 2026 live updates: Shiv Sena faction led by deputy CM Eknath Shinde on Monday rolled out the manifesto for Thane civic polls. Among other things, the document promised a slum-free city as well as an iconic 260-metre viewing tower, news agency PTI reported. The party described the manifesto as a roadmap of “unbroken development”. The manifesto includes a comprehensive plan to eliminate slums through large-scale urban renewal as well as accelerating ongoing cluster development schemes, Lok Sabha MP Naresh Mhaske said, adding that the party plans to leverage existing cluster works to provide permanent, high-quality housing to slum dwellers, transforming the city's landscape into a modern urban centre.

BMC elections 2026 live updates: As Tamil Nadu BJP leader K Annamalai's remarks on Mumbai set off a political slugfest, BJP MLA R Tamil Selvan defended his statement and said his remarks aimed at highlighting the city's global importance, had been deliberately misconstrued for political gains.

BMC elections 2026 live updates: NCP leader Nawab Malik has alleged that votes for the BMC polls are being sought by provoking religious sentiments of the people. “On the other hand, language and demographic politics are taking place,” he said, adding that these things are not being as effective as they had expected. “There are different problems in different wards, and if any party-specific believes that there is some kind of a political wave that will help them win the election, it is their misconception,” he said.

BMC elections 2026 live updates: The stock exchanges have announced a market holiday on 15 January on account of voting for BMC elections.

BMC elections 2026 live updates: Former cricketer and Telangana minister Mohammad Azharuddin is hopeful of Congress victory in the BMC polls. As he addressed a roadshow alongside Rajya Sabha member Imran Pratapgarhi in the Mumbadevi area, Azharuddin said the atmosphere looks favourable for the party to make a comeback and said divisive issues along communal and community lines, including the wearing of the Hijab, have no place in democracy. "Such issues don't even deserve a response," he was quoted as saying by PTI.

BMC elections 2026 live updates: Tamil Nadu BJP's K Annamalai from Tamil Nadu has landed in the middle of election rhetoric in Mumbai. Annamalai earlier called Mumbai “an international city”, and not a city of Maharashtra alone, while addressing a campaign rally in Dharavi for BMC. Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray said on Monday that Annamalai's statements show his party "only wants to insult and loot" Mumbai and Maharashtra. Read full story here

BMC elections 2026 live updates: As Maharashtra braces for upcoming civic body polls, estranged cousins are joining hands – from Thackerays to Pawars. Ahead of the upcoming Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) elections, NCP(SP) MP Supriya Sule on Monday said that there has never been any issue within their family. "There were never issues between the family. We are all here to serve the public," Sule was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.

BMC elections 2026 live updates: Amid the high voltage campaigning for the upcoming BMC polls, Annamalai's statement that Mumbai is an “international city, and not a city of Maharashtra” kicked up a political slugfest, triggering strong reactions from leaders of Shiva Sena (UBT) faction. "Mumbai needs a triple-engine government. We need a BJP mayor in Mumbai, with (Maharashtra) Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis in the state, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Centre. Mumbai is a global metropolis which has a budget of over ₹40,000 crore. Bengaluru's budget is ₹19,000 crore, while Chennai's is ₹8,000 crore. You need good people who sit in the administration to manage the finance," Annamalai had said.

BMC elections 2026 live updates: Amid row over BJP leader Annamalai's statement on Mumbai, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aadtiya Thackeray said that it has been made clear that the party only wants to insult and "loot" the state.

"Annamalai is the face of the BJP, which is zero. He could not win there and save their own deposit. It was shown that the next PM will be him only, but actually, they are a Zero that Tamil Nadu has shown. Whereas (CM) Stalin has been bringing forward Tamil Nadu at such a speed, these people are only fighting, hurling abuses. Annamalai has insulted Maharashtra, and the state will not tolerate this. Annamalai and the BJP have insulted Maharashtra," Thackeray was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.

BMC elections 2026 live updates: Susie Shah of Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena faction on Monday moved the Bombay High Court, challenging rival Shiv Sena (UBT) candidate and former city mayor Kishori Pednekar's civic poll nomination for allegedly suppressing details about FIRs lodged against her, PTI reported. However, the court refused, noting that only a few days were left for the civic elections, scheduled on January 15, and said the petition would be taken up for hearing after the polls.

BMC elections 2026 live updates: In fresh remarks, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Sunday said that no political party likes a rising leader from the Muslim community as he criticised the Mahayuti and MVA alike. He said parties like Congress, both factions of NCP, and Shiv Sena have always opposed a Muslim leader. "It is good, Congress, NCP, Shiv Sena, Shiv Sena (UBT) or BJP are fighting (the polls) together. But when the issue of Ward came up, then everyone said, No no they can't win, if they win then we will have more headaches. When state elections will come then this will come forward. I want to tell you all that Congress, NCP, Shiv Sena, Shiv Sena (UBT) or BJP, none of them likes the rising of a leader from Muslim minority community. They don't like it if a leader is born," Owaisi was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.

BMC elections 2026 live updates: With just days left for the high-stakes polls in Maharashtra, BJP minister Chandrakant Patil expressed confidence that the BJP-led Mahayuti will retain control of all five municipal corporations in the western part of the state. "We are already confident of winning around 115 seats...not less than 115. The assessment is based on a recent micro-level review of detailed constituency-wise and ward-level assessments conducted by our state BJP president, Ravindra Chavan," he told news agency PTI in an interview.

BMC elections 2026 live updates: Maharashtra's State Election Commission (SEC) has asked Chief Secretary Rajesh Agarwal to submit a report on Opposition's claims that the Ladki Bahin Yojana financial aid would be disbursed to beneficiaries just before civic body polls in Maharashtra, news agency PTI reported. The Ladki Bahin Yojana is a flagship scheme of the state government under which eligible women beneficiaries get a monthly assistance of ₹1,500.

BMC elections 2026 live updates: Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis reportedly slammed political parties for fielding candidates with criminal backgrounds in Pune's municipal elections. "Pune has a population of approximately 6 lakhs. Why was it necessary to give tickets to people with criminal backgrounds as candidates? Everyone says and believes that crime should be eradicated. I have heard many speeches where it was said that the "Koyta gang" would be eliminated from Pune and crime would be rooted out... But the same people who made these statements are now giving tickets to criminals and even speaking in their support. This is absolutely wrong," said Devendra Fadnavis, as quoted by ANI.

BMC election 2026 live updates: The BJP candidate from Ward number 3 in Pune reportedly released a manifesto on Sunday. The manifesto, released by BJP's Aishwarya Surendra Pathare, is tailored to women's specific needs. "Manifesto is built on four key pillars: women's health, women's safety, women's skill development and women's empowerment and has been designed keeping in mind the specific needs of women in the Lohegaon and Wagholi areas of East Pune," she was quoted as saying by PTI.