BJP leader Kirit Somaiya has said that AIMIM’s newly elected councilor Sahar Shaikh has apologized for her controversial statement. He said that Sahar Shaikh’s statement about making Mumbai green is provocative, it instigates Hindus. After our complaint the police had called him twice. After filing a complaint with the police, Sahar Sheikh has apologized.

Kirit Somaiya said, “Sahar Shaikh has written and apologized. She wrote, “It was not my intention to hurt anyone’s sentiments and hence I apologize.” In my opinion, green color is the flag of my party, but I will work for the tricolor of India throughout my life.” Somaiya said that since Sehar is young, we have also accepted her apology.

AIMIM leaders are radicalizing the next generation – Somaiya

The BJP leader further said, “The matter of concern is that AIMIM leaders are now awakening their next generation and radicalizing them. AIMIM means New Muslim League, they instigate Muslims. They made Malegaon green, Mankhurd green, if they make Mumbra green, that’s enough and now they are trying to make Mumbai green and we don’t accept that.

We accept Sahar Sheikh’s apology- Kirit Somaiya

Kirit Somaiya said, “Sahar Shaikh is a 22 year old girl, she has apologized. We also accept his apology. But these Muslim fundamentalists, who are getting help from outside, are now ruining their new generation. Wherever Bharatiya Janata Party is in power, we have not discriminated anywhere. Dear sister is not the dear sister of Shinde and Deva Bhau. Be it Muslim or Hindu, all sisters are lovely. Want to convert Mumbai into Muslims in the coming years. Devendra Fadnavis government is now in the field against it.

Who is Sahar Sheikh?

AIMIM councilor Sahar Shaikh, while giving a speech during the meeting, had said that we will make Mumbra green. After this the controversy increased and Sahar Sheikh came into discussion across the country. Sahar Yunus Shaikh, who has recently been elected as councilor from AIMIM from Mumbra Ward 30 in Thane Municipal Corporation. Being a young face, she has a lot of craze among the youth.

Sahar Sheikh has completed her Bachelor’s degree in Business Management Studies (BMS) from Mumbai University. His higher education has given him advantage in the campaign. In his nomination paper, he mentioned car washing center as his main profession. According to Sahar’s father Yunus, she was preparing for IAS, but NCP Sharad Pawar faction leader Jitendra Awhad inspired his daughter to join active politics.

Voting was held on Thursday (January 15) for the elections of 29 municipal corporations in Maharashtra. Voting for 2,869 seats in 893 wards in the state started at 7:30 am and ended at 5:30 pm. Today, on January 16, votes will be counted and the political future of 15,931 candidates will be decided.

The fate of 1,700 candidates for 227 seats in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections was sealed in EVMs. This is the first BMC elections after the split of Shiv Sena in 2022. The undivided Shiv Sena has ruled the country’s richest BMC for 25 years. In the 2017 municipal elections, BJP had captured the maximum number of 1099 seats in the state.

Which party will hold how many seats in the 2017 elections?

The last time municipal elections were held in Maharashtra was in 2017. BJP is in control of 1099 seats in the state. Which is 31.3 percent of the total seats. Undivided Shiv Sena had won 489 seats in the last elections, which is 18.49% percent. Congress had won 439 seats, which is 15.53 percent of the total seats. The undivided NCP had captured 294 seats, which is 11.06 percent. Whereas other parties had won 294 seats.

• BJP-1099-(31.3%)
• Shiv Sena- 489(18.49%)
• Congress- 439 (15.53%)
• NCP- 294 (11.06%)
• Others- 415

Elections of 29 metropolitan municipalities were held after 6 years.

Elections to a total of 29 metropolitan municipalities in Maharashtra have been held after a gap of more than six years. In the election battle, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Navi Mumbai, Vasai-Virar, Kalyan-Dombivli, Kolhapur, Nagpur, Mumbai, Solapur, Amravati, Akola, Nashik, Pimpri-Chinchwad, Pune, Ulhasnagar, Thane, Chandrapur, Parbhani, Mira-Bhayander, Nanded-Waghala, Panvel, Pandey Bhiwandi-Nizampur, Latur, Malegaon, Sangli-Miraj-Kupwad, Jalgaon, Ahilyanagar, Dhule, Jalna and Ichalkaranji are included.

Which party contested elections on how many seats in BMC?

According to the final distribution of seats in Mumbai, BJP contested on 137 seats and Shiv Sena led by Eknath Shinde on 90 seats. At the same time, Mahayuti’s constituent party Ajit Pawar’s NCP fielded a separate candidate for 94 seats. Shiv Sena (UBT) fielded 163 candidates, MNS 52, Congress 143 and VBA 46. Congress fielded 1,263 candidates in the rest of the state. Everyone’s fate will be decided on January 16.

Voting for the elections of 29 municipal corporations in Maharashtra is to be held on Thursday, January 15, 2025. Most political interest in these elections is focused on Mumbai, where the contest for the power of Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), the country’s most prosperous municipal body, has become very interesting. In the BMC elections, the Mahayuti alliance led by the Bharatiya Janata Party and the front of the Uddhav-Raj Thackeray brothers are face to face.

Voting will be held on January 15 from 7:30 am to 5:30 pm for a total of 2,869 seats in the municipal elections. During this period, 3.48 crore voters will decide the political future of 15,931 candidates. Of these, 1,700 candidates are in the fray from Mumbai alone and 1,166 from Pune. Counting of votes will take place on January 16. More than 25,000 police personnel, including senior officers, have been deployed in Mumbai to maintain law and order during the BMC elections and counting of votes.

These elections of 29 municipal corporations are being held after a gap of more than six years. The tenure of these municipal corporations had ended between 2020 and 2023. The municipal corporations where voting is taking place include Mumbai, Pune, Pimpri-Chinchwad, Thane, Nagpur, Nashik, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Navi Mumbai, Vasai-Virar, Kalyan-Dombivli, Mira-Bhayander, Bhiwandi-Nizampur, Panvel, Solapur, Amravati, Akola, Kolhapur, Sangli-Miraj-Kupwad, Jalgaon, Dhule, Jalna, Latur, Nanded-Waghala, Parbhani, Chandrapur, Malegaon, Ahilyanagar and Ichalkaranji are included.

The political contest is very tough in 227 wards of BMC. Here BJP is contesting on 137 seats, Shiv Sena on 90 seats and NCP on 94 seats. Shiv Sena (UBT) has fielded 163 candidates, while MNS is in the fray on 52 seats. Congress has fielded 143 candidates and VBA has fielded 46 candidates in Mumbai. Congress has fielded a total of 1,263 candidates in other parts of the state.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has claimed that MNS chief Raj Thackeray will suffer the biggest political loss by forging an alliance with Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray. He termed the coming together of both factions of NCP in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad as only a local level development. Fadnavis also said that Deputy Chief Minister and NCP leader Ajit Pawar had violated the rule of not making statements against each other among the alliance partners.

The Mahayuti alliance, consisting of BJP and Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, campaigned extensively across Maharashtra. Political observers say that the NCP, the third component of the alliance, was strategically kept away from the campaign so as to appeal to non-Hindu voters.

This BMC election is the first after the split of Shiv Sena in 2022. In the same year, Eknath Shinde parted ways with most of the party’s MLAs and later got the name and election symbol of the party. Earlier, undivided Shiv Sena had ruled BMC for 25 consecutive years.

Before the elections, a big development came to light in Maharashtra politics when Uddhav Thackeray and Raj Thackeray, who had separated two decades ago, came together again with the aim of uniting Marathi voters. At the same time, rival factions of NCP have also formed an alliance in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad.

This time Congress has adopted a different election strategy in Mumbai. Breaking away from its Mahavikas Aghadi allies Shiv Sena (UBT) and Sharad Pawar’s NCP (SP), the Congress has formed an alliance with Prakash Ambedkar’s Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi and Rashtriya Samaj Paksha. Congress is contesting alone in Nagpur.

During the campaign, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis along with both Deputy Chief Ministers Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar held rallies across the state. Whereas Uddhav and Raj Thackeray put their full strength in Mumbai, Thane, Nashik and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar. Telangana minister Mohammad Azharuddin, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi and Tamil Nadu BJP leader K. Annamalai was also included among the star campaigners.

The promises related to women in the manifestos remained at the center of the election debate. Mahayuti has promised to give 50 percent fare concession to women in BEST buses. Meanwhile, the Shiv Sena (UBT)-MNS alliance has assured domestic working women of monthly allowance of Rs 1,500 and waiver of property tax on houses up to 700 square feet. In its manifesto, Congress has given priority to tackling Mumbai’s pollution, upgrading BEST buses and strengthening the financial condition of the city.

The race for the post of Mayor of Mumbai also remained a big issue of the election campaign. BJP claimed that in case of Shiv Sena (UBT) victory, a Muslim can become the mayor. In response to this, Uddhav Thackeray’s party talked about making a Marathi mayor. Chief Minister Fadnavis also assured that the Mayor of Mumbai will be “Hindu and Marathi”.

There is not even 24 hours left for voting in Maharashtra Municipal Corporation Elections 2026. Meanwhile, Raj Thackeray’s Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) has received a big blow from the Bombay High Court. Actually, MNS had filed a petition in the High Court against the unopposed elections, which the court has returned.

This petition was filed by MNS leader Avinash Jadhav. The High Court has rejected the petition against the candidates elected unopposed. The MNS leader had alleged that many candidates won the elections unopposed on the strength of money and power.

67 candidates were elected unopposed

For information, let us tell you that during the municipal elections in Maharashtra, about 67 candidates were elected unopposed. In the petition, MNS alleged that many candidates were declared elected in the municipal elections without any opposition, most of whom are from the ruling party, which raises questions on the transparency of the electoral process.

Direct investigation was demanded from the High Court

Raj Thackeray’s party had requested the High Court that the cases of these unopposed elected candidates should be investigated by a retired High Court judge or the entire process should be under the direct supervision of the High Court.

Along with this, it was also said in the petition that these candidates should not be declared winners until the investigation is completed, but the court has refused to hear the petition.

The political atmosphere is going to heat up once again in Maharashtra. Elections for 29 municipal corporations of the state including Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation i.e. BMC are going to be held on January 15. The results will also be declared the very next day of the elections. Like every time, this time too the biggest discussion is about BMC elections. The reason is clear, BMC is considered to be the richest municipal corporation in the country. Words like power, money and influence are automatically associated with its name.

BMC’s budget is said to be more than that of many states. In such a situation, it is natural that the question arises in the minds of common people that how much salary does the Mayor of BMC get and how much power does he have? Come, let us understand the answers to these questions in simple language.

How is BMC mayor elected?

In BMC the mayor is not directly elected by the public. The corporators whom the people of Mumbai elect, also elect the Mayor from among themselves. Generally, the party which has the most corporators has the highest chances of becoming mayor.

The tenure of the Mayor and Corporators is two and a half years. It is also worth keeping in mind that the mayor and corporators do not have administrative powers. Their powers are mainly legislative, that is, they play an important role in policies, proposals and discussions, while administrative work remains in the hands of commissioners and officials.

How much salary does BMC Mayor get?

Often people believe that the BMC Mayor must be getting a huge salary, but the reality is a little different. According to reports, the BMC Mayor is not given a regular salary but an honorarium.

The basic honorarium of the mayor is around Rs 6,000 per month. However, after adding various allowances and facilities, their average monthly income reaches around Rs 50,000 to Rs 55,000. In this way, the annual income of BMC Mayor is around Rs 6 to 6.5 lakh. The salary may not be much, but the mayor gets many special facilities. They are given the facilities of Mayor House i.e. government residence, government vehicle, driver and staff. Apart from this, different allowances are also available for meetings, programs and official tours.

What is the power of BMC Mayor?

BMC Mayor is called the ‘First Citizen’ of Mumbai city. He represents the city and becomes the voice of Mumbai on many important occasions. The Mayor presides over all the meetings of BMC House. An important job of the Mayor is to carry forward the agenda of the Municipal Corporation and maintain order in the House. It is also the responsibility of the Mayor to bring forward the issues related to the public and get them discussed.

What is increment?

According to reports, the mayor’s income is not linked to any fixed salary, hence there is no rule of increment in it every year. The honorarium and allowances received by the Mayor are decided as per the rules of the State Government and Municipal Corporation. It increases only if the government or BMC changes the house honorarium or allowances.

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The campaign for the Maharashtra Municipal Corporation elections is going on in full swing and the parties are making allegations and counter-allegations against each other. Meanwhile, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aditya Thackeray fiercely targeted BJP during the election rally. He said that today’s rally is historic, because both the brothers have come together for Marathi identity. BJP is showing only two faces on its posters. What is his contribution to Maharashtra? Gift City was snatched from our state and taken to Gujarat.

Aditya Thackeray further said, “Big industries were taken out of Maharashtra. This is the contribution of BJP. Will you vote for him for this? We have won the elections on the basis of the work we have done and the implementation of our manifestos. Raj Thackeray has also worked wholeheartedly in the state and the cities where he won.

Aditya Thackeray’s reply on Rohingya and Bangladeshis

Aditya Thackeray took a jibe at Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis by imitating his speaking style. He said, “You were the Chief Minister for seven years, but could not remove Rohingyas and Bangladeshis from Mumbai and Maharashtra. This work belongs to both the central and state governments. For the last ten years, your government has been in power at both the places, then why couldn’t you do this work?

Aditya Thackeray challenges CM Fadnavis

Uddhav Thackeray’s son Aditya Thackeray also said, “I challenge Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to come with me, I will show him what work we have done in the field of health and education in the city.” We upgraded BMC schools to become Public Mumbai Schools, where international curriculum like IB, ICSE and CBSE were implemented.

‘We made BEST’s transport system cheap and accessible’

He further said, “We made BEST’s public transport system affordable and accessible and introduced 4000 AC buses. Our plan was to have 10,000 electric buses, but they closed many routes and stopped the operation of BEST buses. Rs 18,000 crore was spent on Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) from BMC’s fixed deposits, not a single rupee was taken from the Central Government. Yet these people are taking credit for it.

Coastal road survey also started during our tenure – Aditya Thackeray

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aditya Thackeray taunted, “The survey of coastal road was also started during our tenure.” I am showing pictures of the work. If anyone can tell where Fadnavis is seen in these pictures, I will give him Rs 3000. We worked with face masks during Covid, instead of wearing hoodies at midnight and conspiring to topple the government. We inaugurated tunnel boring machines.

What did you say on the viral video of Annamalai in Mumbai?

Aditya Thackeray said, “Annamalai has got his bail forfeited and now he has come to tell us whose Mumbai is and who is a Mumbaikar.” They have no importance. We know very well whose Mumbai it is. We respect every person living in Mumbai who considers her as their mother. We promise that houses will be given to mill workers, policemen, government employees and sons of the land on BMC land and government land in estates in Mumbai.

Maharashtra Deputy CM Ajit Pawar on Friday (09 January 2026) expressed concern over the continuous decline in ideological commitment in politics. He alleged that most of the political parties have abandoned their core principles and are adopting various tactics to increase the number of their supporters. NCP chief Pawar said that defection has become very common, in which leaders are being forced to change the party by luring or under pressure.

He also continued his verbal attacks on the local BJP leadership in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad. Pawar said, “Recently political parties have almost abandoned their respective ideologies. The leaders are going wherever they want and doing whatever they want.” He alleged that some leaders are being lured into their fold, while others are being put under pressure by threatening them with pending investigations against them and by assuring that the investigating agencies will be dealt with after their defection.

Open use of money and muscle power in politics – Ajit Pawar

He claimed that money and muscle power were being used openly in politics. On a question asked on the issue of frequent defection of party leaders and workers, Ajit Pawar said, “Those who have money and muscle power, they are using it.” Those who are thinking of getting votes by raising caste issues are adopting this strategy.” He also said that a candidate is being evaluated on the basis of his electoral qualifications and not on the basis of his actions as a leader.

‘New trend of survey to assess the popularity of candidates’

Maharashtra Deputy CM Pawar further said that a new trend has emerged where surveys are being used to assess the popularity of candidates. In view of the upcoming civic elections in the state, Ajit Pawar said, “Surveys are being used to find out who is the most popular candidate in a particular area. If that person belongs to the opposition party, efforts are made to bring him to our side.

Appreciation of Yashwantrao Chavan’s politics

Praising the politics of Maharashtra’s first Chief Minister Yashwantrao Chavan, Pawar said, “He used to give equal respect to the leaders of opposition parties also.” He used to distribute money without thinking whether the person concerned was from the opposition or not. However, in the last few years, some kind of vendetta politics has crept in. This should not happen.” Criticizing the local BJP leadership in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad, Pawar alleged that despite huge expenditure in the last eight to nine years, their ”lack of foresight” has pushed both the municipal bodies into ”crisis”.

‘Planned development took place in Pimpri Chinchwad under NCP rule’

Despite being partners in the ruling Mahayuti alliance in the state, BJP and NCP are contesting the municipal elections in both the cities separately. BJP is urging Pawar to avoid targeting allies during the election campaign. Pawar claimed that planned development took place in the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) between 1992 and 2017 when the NCP was in power, but the problem of corruption and financial mismanagement continued during the BJP’s tenure from 2017 to 2022.

There was no need to take loan in our time – Ajit Pawar

He claimed, “From 1992 to 2017, Pimpri-Chinchwad was developed with meticulous planning. Due to strong financial management and capable leadership, this corporation became the most prosperous municipal body in Asia. There was no need to take loans or issue bonds during our tenure.” He alleged that bonds were issued during the previous BJP-led government and claimed irregularities in works related to the smart city project and cleanliness drive and waste management.

Allegations of corruption in schemes like installation of CCTV cameras

The NCP chief said, “Around Rs 60,000 crore was spent in the last eight-nine years. Administrative expenses, which are about 30-35 percent, work out to about Rs 20,000 crore. Development works worth Rs 40,000 crore were to be done, but those works are not visible at the ground level.” Pawar, targeting the BJP’s previous tenure in the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), alleged corruption in projects like installation of CCTV cameras. He said, “About 70 percent of the CCTV cameras are not working. The work that should have been done has not been done.

We are raising issues of people in Pune and PCMC- Ajit Pawar

Responding to criticism for attacking him despite sharing power with the BJP at the Center and Maharashtra, Pawar said local body elections are fought on civic issues. He said, “National and state elections are different. Voters know to whom to hand over the reins of the country and the state. Municipal corporation elections are related to local problems, and we are raising the issues faced by citizens in Pune and PCMC.

What did you say on alliance with Sharad Pawar in Pimpri-Chinchwad?

On alliance with NCP and Sharad Pawar faction in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad, Ajit Pawar said that it was not pre-planned. He said, “Local party workers felt that it would be beneficial to contest the elections together. This is how the alliance was formed.” Rejecting the speculations about the merger of the two factions of NCP, Pawar said that such discussions are taking place only in the media. He said, “Right now our entire focus is on winning maximum seats.” Elections for 29 municipal corporations across the state, including Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad, are to be held on January 15. Counting of votes will take place the next day.

Elections for 29 municipal corporations in Maharashtra are to be held on January 15. But even before the elections, BJP candidates have won unopposed at some places. Even before the start of voting in Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation (KDMC) elections in Thane district, two women candidates of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won unopposed. According to officials, Rekha Choudhary, who was a councilor for more than a decade, was declared victorious from Ward No. 18 (Kachore) and Asawari Kedar Navre was declared victorious unopposed from Ward No. 26 (A).

BJP state unit president Ravindra Chavan termed this victory as the “highest civilian honour” received by the public. He said, “This is a mark of solving problems at the grassroots level in Kachore for ten years and standing with every citizen. People expressed their views by remaining silent.”

Unopposed victory gives message of confidence – Devendra Fadnavis

Asawari Kedar Navare is a new face in municipal politics, but his family has been associated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) since the beginning. Chavan informed about this victory to Chief Minister and senior BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis through video call. On this, Fadnavis said, “Victory is victory, but unopposed victory gives the message of confidence. May this energy take us forward towards better welfare-Dombivli.” Elections to 29 municipal corporations, including KDMC, across the state will be held on January 15 and the counting of votes will be done the next day.

A total of 2,516 nominations filed for BMC elections

A total of 2,516 nominations have been filed for the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections, out of which 2,122 nominations were submitted on the last day itself. Officials gave this information on Wednesday. Officials said that the BMC elections of 227 wards will be held on January 15 and the counting of votes will be done the next day. The process of filing nominations started on 23 December and ended on 30 December. According to officials, the scrutiny of nomination papers started at 11 am on Wednesday, while candidates can withdraw their candidature till 3 pm on January 2.

Out of the total 2,516 nomination papers filed with 23 election officers of the city, ‘M-East’ ward received the maximum of 183 nominations. This ward includes areas like Govandi, Deonar, Chembur, Trombay, Mankhurd and Anik. Local officials said a little more than 400 nominations had been filed till December 29, while last-minute negotiations over seat sharing between parties resulted in 2,122 candidates submitting their nomination papers on the last day. He said that till December 30, a total of 11,391 nomination forms had been distributed.

So far 5 BJP candidates have won unopposed in Maharashtra.

• In Kalyan Municipal Corporation, two BJP candidates Rekha Choudhary and Asavari Navghare won unopposed.
• BJP’s Nitin Patil was elected councilor from Ward No. 18 (B) without opposition in Panvel Municipal Corporation.
• BJP’s account opened in Dhule also. Ujwal Bhosle won unopposed.
• Another BJP candidate from Kalyan-Dombivli, Ranjana Penkar, was elected unopposed from ward number 26.

Shiv Sena (Uddhav Bala Saheb Thackeray group) and Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) formally announced their alliance in the Joint Press Council today (29 December) regarding the Chandrapur Municipal Corporation elections in Maharashtra. This announcement was made in the presence of local leaders and workers of both the parties. With the announcement of the alliance, new activities are being seen in the politics of Chandrapur.

Municipality with 66 seats, 50-50 formula

Giving information, the leaders said that in Chandrapur Municipal Corporation with 66 members, both the parties will contest the elections on the formula of 50-50. There has been complete agreement between both the parties regarding the distribution of seats.

He said that the list of candidates is being finalized and will be made public soon, so that the election preparations can be started with full force.

Main goal is to defeat BJP

In the Patra Parishad, the leaders of both the parties clearly said that the main objective of this alliance is to defeat the BJP and make them mayor of the Municipal Corporation.

He said that this alliance is not just for power but has been formed for social justice, protection of democratic values ​​and all-round development of the city. Both parties expressed confidence that the public will view this alliance positively. It will also bring victory to this alliance.

Appeal for unity among workers

The leaders of Shiv Sena (Uddhav Bala Saheb Thackeray group) and Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi appealed to their respective workers to forget their differences and come into the electoral fray unitedly. He said that it is necessary to convey the message of the alliance by going door-to-door, so that the common people can be told that this alliance will work in the interest of Chandrapur.

Since the announcement of the alliance, the stir in political circles has intensified. It is believed that this time the competition in Chandrapur Municipal Corporation elections will be very tough and the election battle is going to be very interesting.