Maharashtra civic polls: Four BJP candidates elected unopposed in different municipal corporations
Maharashtra civic polls: Four BJP candidates elected unopposed in different municipal corporations
Mumbai:
The Bharatiya Janata Party has already opened its account in the upcoming Maharashtra municipal corporation elections across several cities, with four of its candidates being elected unopposed in the Kalyan Dombivli, Navel and Dhule Municipal Corporations, days before polling is to be held.
BJP's early advantage
In a major boost for the Bharatiya Janata Party ahead of voting in the civic polls, no nomination papers were filed against BJP candidates Rekha Rajan Chaudhary and Asavari Kedar Navre in their respective wards in the Kalyan Dombivli Municipal Corporation. As a result, their victories are considered unopposed, although an official announcement will be made only after the completion of the scrutiny process and the publication of the final list of candidates.
Rekha Chaudhary, a former corporator, contested from Panel No. 18 A in Kalyan East, which includes areas such as Kachore, Netivali Tekdi, Gavdevi, Netivali Metro Mall and Shastrinagar. Asavari Navre is the BJP candidate from Ward No 26 C in Dombivli East, covering localities including Mhatre Nagar, Rajaji Path, Ramnagar, Shiv Market and Savarkar Road.
The party also registered an unopposed victory in the Navel Municipal Corporation, where Nitin Patil was elected without contest as a corporator from Ward No 18 B. Patil had initially filed his nomination as a candidate of the Shetkari Kamgar Party, but his nomination was rejected during the scrutiny process. Following this, only the BJP candidate remained in the race, leading to an uncontested win.
Meanwhile, the party has opened its account in Dhule as well, with Ujjwal Bhosale being elected unopposed. With this latest victory, the total number of BJP candidates elected unopposed in the ongoing municipal polls has risen to 4 so far.
Party leaders congratulate winners
Following the development, BJP Maharashtra president Ravindra Chavan and Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis congratulated both candidates and welcomed them, praising their unopposed victories as a reflection of growing public support for the party.
The news has created a celebratory atmosphere among BJP workers in Kalyan Dombivli. Party leaders described the development as a significant early success ahead of polling and results, signalling strong organisational presence and confidence in the region even before votes are cast.
Maharashtra municipal corporation elections 2026
Elections to 29 municipal corporations in Maharashtra, including the cash-rich Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, will be held on January 15, with counting of votes scheduled for January 16, the State Election Commission announced on Monday.
The polls are being conducted after a prolonged delay, with elections in several civic bodies, including Mumbai, pending since early 2022. According to the State Election Commission, a total of 2869 seats across the 29 municipal corporations will be contested.
Announcing the long-awaited election schedule at a press conference, State Election Commissioner Dinesh Waghmare said the nomination process will begin on December 23 and continue until December 30.
He said scrutiny of nomination papers will be carried out on December 31, while January 2 has been fixed as the last date for the withdrawal of nominations. The final list of candidates, along with symbol allocatio,n will be published on January 3.
Polling across all 29 municipal corporations in Maharashtra will take place on January 15, and counting of votes will be held on January 16.
