BMC election results today: Will Shiv Sena get to rule Mumbai or will it be BJP? Picture may be clear by noon

The counting will be taken up at 23 centres across the city

Who will win power in Mumbai civic polls? We will come to know soon as counting of votes for the 227 seats starts at 10am.

The counting will be taken up at 23 centres across the city. (Arijit Sen/HT PHOTO)

The counting will be taken up at 23 centres across the city. The first round of results can be expected in two hours, which means by noon, said civic officials.

The high-octane election has grabbed the attention of the entire nation due to the high stakes involved.

The fight is largely between the Shiv Sena, Bharatiya Janata Party and Congress. However, in the past few weeks, it has turned into bitter tussle between allies-turned-foes Shiv Sena and BJP to win control of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), the biggest and richest civic body in India.

The two parties ruled the BMC together for two decades, but are now involved in a slanging match.

The record highest voter turnout at 55.53% has kept the prominent parties on the edge. The sharp rise in the polling percentage this year could also largely be a result of the polarised battle between the Shiv Sena and the BJP.

Simultaneously, results of voting conducted for nine other municipal corporations including Thane and Pune as well as 25 district councils or zilla parishads will also be declared on Thursday.

The elections are being described as mini-assembly polls and could have an impact on state politics.

Read:

Will BMC poll results lead to patch-up between Shiv Sena and BJP?

BMC election results today: What are the possible scenarios

BMC polls: Shorter electoral list helped Mumbai record highest voter turnout in 25 years