Voting began across Mumbai’s 227 wards on Thursday, with the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance locked in a high-stakes battle against the reunited Thackeray cousins for control of India’s largest and richest civic body.

1,700 candidates in fray; tight security across city

In the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), which has an annual budget exceeding Rs 74,400 crore, around 1,700 candidates are contesting 227 seats. The elections are being held after a nine-year gap, following a four-year delay. More than 25,000 police personnel have been deployed across the city to ensure smooth conduct of the polls.