Overview
- Polling for 29 municipal corporations, including Mumbai’s BMC, is set for January 15 with counting on January 16, according to the State Election Commission.
- Uddhav and Raj Thackeray held joint rallies in Mumbai and Thane, invoking Marathi identity and alleging the BJP has enabled the Adani Group’s rapid expansion and control of key assets.
- The ruling Mahayuti unveiled a development-heavy manifesto for Mumbai, promising half-price BEST bus travel for women, large-scale housing, and an IIT Mumbai–linked tool that leaders say is 60% reliable for identifying illegal immigrants.
- Devendra Fadnavis and Eknath Shinde pushed back at a joint rally, asserting Mumbai cannot be separated from Maharashtra, urging voters to choose development over division, and highlighting Marathi as compulsory in the state.
- BJP leader K. Annamalai’s ‘international city’ remark about Mumbai triggered a heated exchange with Raj Thackeray, and Annamalai claimed he received threats, while Raj also alleged widespread attempts to buy votes ahead of the polls.