As Maharashtra heads into a high-stakes round of civic elections, controversy has erupted over a large number of candidates set to enter municipal corporations without a fight. Official data shows that 69 candidates are poised to be elected unopposed across 29 municipal corporations, raising sharp questions from opposition parties about the fairness of the electoral process.
The municipal elections, scheduled for January 15, will determine control over 2,869 seats across major urban bodies, including Mumbai, Pune, Thane, Nagpur, Nashik, and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar. With the withdrawal of nominations concluding on Friday, the unusually high number of uncontested seats has become a central political flashpoint.
Mahayuti Dominates Uncontested Seats
According to figures confirmed by election authorities, 68 of the 69 unopposed candidates belong to the ruling Mahayuti alliance, comprising the BJP, the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, and the Ajit Pawar-led NCP, as reported by Hindustan Times. The remaining uncontested candidate represents the Islam Party in Malegaon.
Breaking down the numbers, 44 uncontested candidates are from the BJP, 22 from the Shiv Sena (Shinde faction), and two from the NCP (Ajit Pawar faction). These developments have given the BJP a clear numerical edge even before polling day, particularly in corporations such as Kalyan-Dombivli in Thane district, as well as Pune, Pimpri Chinchwad, Panvel, Bhiwandi, Dhule, Jalgaon, and Ahilyanagar.
In Pune’s 165-member municipal corporation, for instance, BJP candidates Manjusha Nagpure and Shrikant Jagtap were left unopposed after candidates from Shiv Sena (UBT) and NCP (SP) withdrew from the race.
Opposition Alleges Pressure and Irregularities
Opposition parties have strongly objected to the manner in which these unopposed victories emerged. Leaders from Shiv Sena (UBT) and the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena alleged that rival candidates were pressured, threatened, or financially induced to withdraw their nominations at the last moment.
Sanjay Raut of Shiv Sena (UBT) claimed that returning officers were instructed to accept withdrawals even after the official 3 p.m. deadline, effectively treating late submissions as valid, reported Times Now. These allegations have intensified scrutiny of the conduct of election officials during the withdrawal phase.
In response to the uproar, the State Election Commission has directed returning officers not to formally declare winners in the affected wards until an inquiry into the complaints is completed.
