BMC elections 2026: Shaina NC accuses Opposition of blaming system

As voting for the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation BMC elections began on Thursday morning Shaina NC a leader of the Shiv Sena accused Opposition parties of making ldquoexcuses for their impending defeatrdquo and said she was confident that Mumbaikars would vote for developmentlsquoNext Mumbai mayor will be Marathi manoos and HindursquoReiterating remarks made earlier by several leaders Shaina NC said the next mayor of Mumbai would be a ldquoMarathi manoos and a HindurdquoldquoThe Opposition is finding excuses for its defeatmdashsometimes blaming EVMs sometimes the Election Commission the ED the CBI voters or currency notes That is their politicsmdashphotoops and theatrics I am confident that Mumbaikars will vote only for developmentrdquo she told ANI after offering prayers at the Shree Siddhivinayak Temple in MumbaiMayor must work for Mumbairsquos developmentShe added ldquoThe mayor of Mumbai will be a Marathi manus a Hindu and someone whose heart beats for this citymdashsomeone who wants to work for Mumbai and its developmentrdquoUrging citizens to exercise their franchise the Shiv Sena leader said voting had begun with the blessings of Maa Mumba Devi and Shri Siddhivinayak ldquoI appeal to every Mumbaikar to cast their vote Voting is the essence of democracy and empowers people to raise their voicesrdquo she saidPolling begins at 730 am 1700 candidates in frayPolling commenced at 730 am with voters lining up at their respective booths across the city As many as 1700 candidates are contesting the elections in MumbaiAccording to official figures 10344315 citizens are eligible to vote in the BMC polls This includes 5516707 men 4826509 women and 1099 voters in the lsquootherrsquo categoryCivic polls underway across MaharashtraBesides Mumbai municipal elections are being held for over 28 other corporations across Maharashtra The counting of votes is scheduled for Friday January 16To encourage voter participation the Maharashtra government has declared January 15 a public holiday under the Negotiable Instruments Act The holiday applies to government and semigovernment offices corporations and banks within the limits of the 29 municipal corporations going to the pollsBJPndashShiv Sena alliance contests BMC pollsThe Bharatiya Janata Party is contesting the BMC elections in alliance with the Shiv Sena Eknath Shinde faction led by Eknath Shinde Meanwhile the National Congress Party which is part of the Mahayuti in the state and the NDA at the Centre has joined hands with the NCP SP in key municipal corporations including PimpriChinchwad and PuneList of major civic bodies going to pollsProminent civic bodies going to the polls include Mumbai Thane Navi Mumbai Ulhasnagar KalyanDombivli BhiwandiNizampur MiraBhayandar VasaiVirar Panvel Nashik Malegaon Ahilyanagar Jalgaon Dhule Pune PimpriChinchwad Solapur Kolhapur Ichalkaranji SangliMirajKupwad Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar NandedWaghala Parbhani Jalna Latur Amravati Akola Nagpur and ChandrapurWith inputs from ANI