Maharashtra exit poll highlights: Poll predict clean sweep for Mahayuti in BMC polls, Uddhav-Raj alliance distant second

Reacting to claims that the ink was being wiped off, the BMC issued a statement stating that such media reports were factually incorrect.

The statement further added that, according to procedure, polling staff apply indelible ink to one finger of the voter's left hand at the time of casting the vote on the electronic voting machine at the polling station.

As voting for the high-stakes Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections got underway on Thursday, social media was flooded with videos of common voters, politicians and mediapersons using Acetone to wipe off the ‘indelible’ ink on their fingers after voting.

The BMC, however, rejected reports claiming that the ink marks on voters' fingers were being wiped off during the ongoing civic polls, as reported by PTI.

Maharashtra elections: 17.73% voters have cast their ballot in the BMC polling till 11:30 AM

Shiv Sena UBT chief Uddhav Thackeray took aim at the Election Commission for the years of delay in the BMC polls.
"It should be revealed how the Election Commissioner is paid. The Mumbai municipal elections are being held after a nine-year gap. What were the Election Commissioner and his staff doing for these years? Action should be taken against them," he told the media.
(ANI)

Shiv Sena UBT chief Uddhav Thackeray appealed to voters to cast their votes as the Maharashtra civic body polls go on.
"Our entire family voted together, and we appeal to all voters in all constituencies where elections are being held to cast their votes," Thackeray told the media after voting.

After casting his vote for the BMC elections, Singer Kailash Kher hailed the people of Mumbai and urged them to vote in the BMC elections.

"The people of Mumbai are very responsible, they fulfil their duty, we just have to carry forward this tradition... Every person should step out of their home and vote," Kher told ANI.

Maharashtra elections LIVE: Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray, along with his family members, cast his vote in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections at a polling booth in Bandra, Mumbai.

MNS chief Raj Thackeray claims people are voting twice due to the ink being “removable”, and called for workers to remain “vigilant”.
"The ink that was used before is being replaced with a new pen, and there are complaints about this new pen. If you use a hand sanitiser, the ink disappears. Now, the only option left is to apply the ink, go outside, wipe it off, and then return inside to vote again. A new rule has been implemented for campaigning. This suggests that the government can do almost anything to maintain its power. We don't call this an election when someone comes to power through such fraudulent means. I appeal to the people, Shiv Sena workers, and Matoshree Sena workers to remain vigilant about all these matters. A person was caught casting a vote twice," Thackeray was quoted by ANI as saying.

Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis and his family show their inked fingers after casting their vote for the Maharashtra local body elections in Nagpur.

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Priyanka Chaturvedi faced isues with the voter list and was directed to another polling station to cast her ballot.
"Upon arriving at the polling station where I usually vote, I found that my name was not on the list. I was directed to another location where I cast my vote. I appeal to all Mumbaikars to vote in large numbers and to please check their polling booth details before going to vote. It is very important to vote for a party that has earned our trust over the years," ANI quoted her as saying.

The election for the Thane Municipal Corporation saw 8 per cent voting by 9:30 AM.

Union Minister Nitin Gadkari condemned the attack on BJP candidate Bhushan Shingne in Nagpur, saying the cops should take strict action.

"I am going to Shingne ji's house right now to see him. This incident is very unfortunate and reprehensible. Differences of opinion can exist, and here in Nagpur, as well as in the entire state of Maharashtra, we have followed a tradition where, during the 15 days of the election, we present our views, and after the election, our relationships become good again. So I think this is very unfortunate. Such incidents should be avoided. The police should definitely take strict action against those who committed the crime. From the information received, it was an attempt to take his life. This is not a good thing," Gadkari told the media.

(ANI)

A BJP candidate was injured during a scuffle with a group of people ahead of the civic polls in Nagpur, police said on Thursday.

The incident took place around midnight on Thursday.

Bhushan Shingne, the BJP candidate from Ward No. 11 of the Nagpur Municipal Corporation, had gone to the Gorewada area after learning that some anti-social elements were trying to vitiate the atmosphere and distribute money, the party's city chief, Dayashankar Tiwari, told reporters.

But when Shingne reached the spot, he was allegedly attacked by a group of more than 100 persons and suffered injuries, he said.

Based on a complaint, a case has been registered against one person and others, who are yet to be identified, a senior police official said.

Union Minister Nitin Gadkari urged everyone to cast their vote in the ongoing polls.

"Voting in an election is our fundamental right. Who we vote for and who we don't is our right, but fulfilling the duty associated with this right, which is given to us in a democracy, is the duty of every citizen. I appeal to all the people that it is your responsibility in a democracy to fully utilise your fundamental right. Please come, cast your vote," he told the media.

Union Minister Nitin Gadkari showed his inked finger after casting his vote at a polling station in Nagpur for the Maharashtra local body polls.

Voter turnout for the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) election, as of 9:30 AM, stood at 6.98%

You can find your polling station on the Election Commission of India website by following these steps

-Visit the electoral search page at electoralsearch.eci.gov.in

-Enter your EPIC number and select your state

-Fill in the captcha verification and click on ‘Search’

-The system will display your polling station’s name and address

Voters can also verify their details through the Election Commission’s Voter Helpline App, which can be downloaded from eci.gov.in/voter-helpline-app

Here is a step-by-step guide to verify your name in the electoral list online:

-Visit the National Voter’s Service Portal (NVSP) at nvsp.in

-Go to the ‘Search in Electoral Roll’ section

-Look up your details by entering personal information or your EPIC (Elector Photo Identity Card) number

-Once submitted, the portal will display your voter registration status

BMC election 2026 LIVE: Renowned lyricist Gulzar cast his vote in Mumbai and had a message for the voters.

"We are rooted in our homeland, and your vote is to nurture those roots and to nurture democracy, so be sure to fulfil this duty," he said.
(ANI)

BMC election 2026 LIVE: Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut, along with his brother Sunil Raut, arrived at a polling station in Mumbai to cast his vote for the BMC election.

BMC election 2026 LIVE: Master Baster Sachin Tendulkar was among the first cricketers to reach a polling booth on Thursday morning to cast his vote for the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections.

Sachin arrived with his wife, Anjali Tendulkar, and daughter, Sara Tendulkar, to cast his vote at the Pali-Chimbai Municipal School in Bandra.

“This is a very important election. It gives us a chance where we can express our opinion through votes. Everyone should come out and cast their votes,” the Indian cricketer told reporters after voting.

Maharashtra civic elections LIVE: In the Pimpri-Chinchwad civic polls, NCP MLAs have reported EVM issues.

Speaking to PTI, NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar says, "We spoke to our president and office-bearers from Pune. Everywhere, there are issues with the machines ( EVMs). At several places, the machines are showing a 15-minute difference. At some places, when the fourth button is pressed, the sound comes, but the light does not. There are many such issues"

Maharashtra Forest Minister and senior BJP leader Ganesh Naik was unable to exercise his franchise in the Navi Mumbai civic polls on Thursday as his name was missing from the voters’ list.

Naik said he had been voting for many years at Navi Mumbai School No. 94 along with his family, but this time he was told that voting would take place at the St Mary High School, where he later cast his ballot.

"When I went there, there was no room number 9 as informed, and my name was not in the voters' list, so I could not cast my vote," Naik told reporters with a wry smile outside School No. 94.

"I will go to the St Mary school again. My family members and relatives live in the same building in Navi Mumbai but our names were divided in three different polling centres," he claimed.

Asked who should be held responsible for the lapse, Naik claimed the State Election Commission was at fault.

"It is anyone's guess that if a minister like me can face a situation where his name is missing from the voters' list, then one can imagine what might be happening to common voters," he stated.

BMC Election LIVE: Singer and music composer Vishal Dadlani pointed out the basic issues that plague Mumbai after casting his vote for the BMC elections.

"Hopefully, whoever wins will hold the elections on time. This is very important for the country, for democracy. But given the state of our city in the last few days, the hope is that things will improve. I've stopped asking people to vote... What I'm seeing here is that there's hardly any public presence. There are more officials inside, it's so shameful. Every Indian should feel pain seeing this. If we don't take care of our country, if we don't take responsibility for it, then what's happening will continue to happen... First of all, the air and water should be clean, the basic necessities for human life," he told the media.