Politics

Mumbai: A controversy has erupted in Maharashtra amid voting for 29 municipal corporations, including the Mumbai BMC elections, over the use of pens instead of traditional indelible ink on voters’ fingers. MNS chief Raj Thackeray raised concerns in Mumbai, alleging that the Election Commission replaced the standard voting ink with a new type of pen. “Complaints are emerging about this new pen. If a voter uses hand sanitizer, the ink disappears. The only option left is to apply the ink, step outside, wipe it off, and re-enter to vote again. This new practice reflects how the government is willing to adopt any method to retain power. Such manipulations cannot be called fair elections,” Thackeray said. He appealed to the public, MNS, and Matoshree Sena workers to remain vigilant. He also c...

After a four-year wait, Mumbaikars are finally exercising their democratic right to elect their local representatives as polling for the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections began on Thursday. By 11:30 am, the city had recorded a voter turnout of 17.62 percent, with voting reported to be relatively slow in several VIP localities. The BMC elections are being held for 227 seats, with nearly 1,700 candidates in the fray. A total of 1.03 crore voters are eligible to cast their ballots. The previous BMC elections were held in 2017, and the civic body’s term ended on March 7, 2022. Counting of votes and results for Mumbai, along with 29 municipal corporations across Maharashtra, will take place on January 16. Polling is underway from 7:30 am to 5:30 pm not only in Mumbai but ...

Nagpur: While all eyes are on the Mumbai BMC elections, political observers are keeping a close watch on Nagpur, home to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) headquarters, as the city goes to polls for the Nagpur Municipal Corporation. Here, the stakes are particularly high for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), as the results are widely seen as a test of both local governance and the development legacy of Union Minister Nitin Gadkari. BJP’s Longstanding Hold under ScrutinyNagpur, the headquarters of the RSS, has been a BJP stronghold for many years. With the party dominating at both the state and central levels, there is mounting pressure for a decisive victory in the municipal elections. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, a Nagpur native, and Nitin Gadkari, the city’s Lok Sabha MP, add...

Nagpur: Dr. Mohan Bhagwat, chief of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), exercised his democratic right to vote in the Nagpur municipal elections on Thursday morning. Speaking after casting his vote, Bhagwat highlighted the importance of voting and urged citizens to choose capable candidates. He also raised concerns about the use of NOTA (None of the Above) in elections. Voting in Maharashtra’s 29 municipal corporations began at 7:30 AM, with Bhagwat being among the first to cast his ballot in Nagpur. Speaking to the media, he described voting as the day’s “first responsibility” and stressed the pivotal role of elections in a democratic system. He urged voters to make balanced and welfare-oriented choices while selecting candidates. Questions on NOTAWhen asked about NOTA, Bhagwat a...

Mumbai, Maharashtra:After a four-year wait, Mumbai residents headed to the polls on Thursday to elect representatives for the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). Voting is underway for all 227 BMC seats, with 1.03 crore voters expected to cast their ballots. Across Maharashtra, 29 municipal corporations, including Thane, Kalyan-Dombivli, Vasai-Virar, Panvel, Navi Mumbai, Ulhasnagar, Bhiwandi, and Mira-Bhayandar, are also holding elections today. Crowds at Polling Centers, Voting Slips Missing Large crowds gathered at polling stations from 7:30 AM to 5:30 PM, but some voters faced difficulty due to missing voting slips, which delayed the process by around five minutes per voter. Director and filmmaker Avinash Gowariker expressed concern over the issue, noting that while the cent...