The Maharashtra civic polls, scheduled for 15 January 2026, have seen 68 candidates from the Mahayuti alliance, including the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde faction), and the Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), set to be elected unopposed.
This development follows a significant number of nomination withdrawals, with the State Election Commission (SEC) initiating investigations into the circumstances surrounding these uncontested victories.
According to Hindustan Times, the 68 unopposed seats comprise 44 BJP candidates, 22 from Shiv Sena, and two from the NCP. The largest number of uncontested candidates is in the Kalyan-Dombivali Municipal Corporation (KDMC), with 22 seats, followed by Jalgaon with 12.
In Pune, two BJP candidates are set to win unopposed after rival withdrawals. The SEC has instructed returning officers not to declare results in these wards until investigations are complete.
As reported by The Hindu, BJP leader Keshav Upadhye confirmed the unopposed wins, highlighting the party's growing influence in urban local bodies. Party leaders attribute the trend to the popularity of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and the electoral strategy of state unit president Ravindra Chavan. The Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena secured 22 unopposed seats, and Ajit Pawar’s NCP won two.
This report noted, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar defended his party’s ticket allocation, stating that allegations alone do not constitute guilt. He also accused the BJP of mismanagement and intimidation tactics in Pimpri-Chinchwad, including pressuring independent candidates to withdraw. Pawar asserted, “No one is a criminal till proven guilty,” and called for voters to judge candidates on performance and vision.
This article added, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) elections are witnessing a four-cornered contest involving the BJP, Shiv Sena, two NCP factions, and a Congress-led alliance. Despite initial alliance talks, the BJP and Shiv Sena are contesting separately in Pune, while the NCP factions have joined forces. The competitive landscape is expected to result in narrow victory margins and unpredictable outcomes in several wards.
“The unopposed way of ending democracy where they settle with the opposition candidates, either by scaring them with the threats of ED, CBI or by bribing them. They are trying to buy out their victories, and it is a shame that the Election Commission is staying quiet on this,” said Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi, as quoted in the sources.
As highlighted by Amar Ujala, after the withdrawal process, 1,729 candidates remain in the fray for the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections, and 649 in Thane. The BMC confirmed that 453 candidates withdrew their nominations by the deadline, clarifying the final list of contestants. The vote counting is scheduled for 16 January 2026.
As noted in an article by The Hindu, the SEC is actively investigating whether pressure, allurement, or coercion influenced the withdrawal of nominations leading to unopposed victories. The commission has sought reports from municipal authorities and will not allow the announcement of unopposed results until the investigations are complete. Complaints have been received regarding alleged prevention of nomination filings in certain wards.
This report highlighted, the Muslim Welfare Association (MWA) has pledged to support only educated candidates who advocate for the rights of Muslim, Bahujan, and marginalised communities. The MWA’s support is contingent on candidates prioritising education, reservation, and social empowerment in their agendas.
This news report said, in Nagpur, BJP workers locked a candidate inside his house to prevent him from withdrawing his nomination, reflecting internal party tensions over candidate selection. The incident was resolved after intervention by party leaders, and the candidate eventually withdrew as directed by the party leadership.
“We will extend full support to those candidates who place fundamental issues such as education, reservation and protection for the upliftment of Muslim, Bahujan and Marginalised communities at the focal point of their electoral agenda,” said MWA national president Saleem Sarang, as quoted in the sources.
Note: This article is produced using AI-assisted tools and is based on publicly available information. It has been reviewed by The Quint's editorial team before publishing.