Polling for 29 municipal corporations across Maharashtra got underway on Thursday morning, placing Mumbai firmly in the political spotlight as parties battle for control of the country’s most influential civic body. Voting began at 7.30 am under heavy security cover and will continue till 5.30 pm, with counting scheduled for January 16.

Across the state, voters are choosing representatives for 2,869 seats spread over 893 wards, with 3.48 crore electors eligible to cast their ballots. A crowded field of 15,931 candidates is in the fray, reflecting the high political stakes after years of delay in holding these elections.

The contest is most closely watched in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, where elections are being held after nearly nine years. The BMC, which commands an annual budget exceeding ₹74,400 crore, has 227 seats, contested by around 1,700 candidates. Over 25,000 police personnel have been deployed in Mumbai alone to ensure smooth polling.

These elections mark the first BMC polls since the 2022 split in the Shiv Sena, when Eknath Shinde led a faction to align with the BJP. The undivided Shiv Sena had dominated the civic body for 25 years, making this election a defining moment for Mumbai’s political future.

Adding to the drama, estranged cousins Uddhav Thackeray and Raj Thackeray reunited last month after two decades, aiming to consolidate Marathi votes. Meanwhile, the Congress has chosen a different path in Mumbai, forging alliances outside its traditional Maha Vikas Aghadi partners.

Apart from Mumbai, voting is underway in major civic bodies including Pune, Thane, Nagpur, Nashik, Pimpri-Chinchwad and Navi Mumbai, many of which fall within the highly urbanised Mumbai Metropolitan Region.

With urban governance directly affecting infrastructure, transport and civic services, these delayed polls carry weight far beyond party symbolism. Mumbai’s verdict, in particular, is expected to shape political narratives ahead of future state and national contests. For voters, the outcome could influence how India’s most complex urban region is administered in the coming years.