Maharashtra exit poll live: Exit polls predict clean sweep for BJP+ in BMC polls, Uddhav-Raj alliance distant second

MAharashtra get out canvass unrecorded: The leave polls, including the axis vertebra My India and JVC, projected a big win for the BJP-led Mahayuti, with Uddhav and Raj Thackeray's alliance at second spot and Congress trailing at third. The voting has concluded for the Maharashtra civic polls across 29 municipal corporations, including the prestigious Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), on Thursday evening. The crucial BMC polls in Mumbai was marred with allegations that the ink used on voters' fingers could be easily wiped off using acetone, a claim that made rounds on the internet and led several opposition leaders to attack the BJP government. The poll body meanwhile issued a statement, dismissing the concerns that a voter could vote twice and also ordered an inquiry into the incident.Several Mumbaikars complained of difficulties in exercising their franchise for the civic polls, including change in polling booths and name location on physical electoral rolls. Even election staff and party functionaries, on the other side of the poll process, found common ground with the segment of disgruntled voters, with many claiming the list given to them had poorly printed photographs, making verification tiresome.Many voters said their polling booths of years had been changed or merged without adequate prior information, while some were seen running around from one helpdesk to another trying to find their names on the rolls. Several polls stations across the country's financial capital were witness to such commotion, especially during the morning hours.Voting for the 29 corporations, including BMC, began at 7:30 AM on Thursday morning, and the votes will be counted on January 16.In the capital city, Mumbai, voting is taking place in 227 wards, with approximately 1,700 candidates contesting. A total of 1,03,44,315 citizens are eligible to vote in the BMC polls. Of these, 55,16,707 are male voters, 48,26,509 are female voters, and the number of other voters is 1,099.Uddhav Thackeray has stated that the state election commissioner, Dinesh Waghmare, should be suspended as he is openly siding with the ruling Mahayuti alliance.The undivided Shiv Sena was a strong force in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation. It won 84 seats contesting in alliance with the BJP, which won 82 seats. However, the tables have turned this time following Shiv Sena's split in 2022. For the Thackeray brothers, Raj and Uddhav, these local body polls are a fight for regaining lost prestige. It will also test if the Thackeray surname still carries as much weight as it once did in the city and the state.The BMC elections are also being held after a nearly three-year delay. Here is an overview of the BMC election 2026, the schedule, voting dates, results, and other important details.Election scheduleThe official poll process began with the notification of elections in December 2025. The State Election Commission (SEC) announced on December 15, 2025, that the elections for 29 municipal corporations in Maharashtra, including the BMC, will be held in a single phase on January 15, 2026, with voting taking place between 7.30 AM and 5.30 PM across polling stations in Greater Mumbai. The results will be published on January 16, 2025.Key datesSome of the key dates are as follows:The nomination process began on December 23, 2025, and candidates were allowed to make their submissions until December 30, 2025The last date of withdrawal of nominations was on January 2, 2026The final list of candidates was published on January 3, 2026BMC polling, along with 28 other municipal corporations, is going on today, January 15, 2026The vote counting date will be on January 16, 2026