BMC Election Results Live Updates: BJP-led Mahayuti secures majority, BJP emerges single largest with 93 seats

Across Maharashtra’s 29 municipal corporations, the BJP emerged victorious in 21 bodies -- Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, Mira-Bhayandar, Ulhasnagar, Panvel, Pune, Pimpri-Chinchwad, Ichalkaranji, Sangli–Miraj–Kupwad, Kolhapur, Solapur, Nagpur, Akola, Amravati, Nashik, Dhule, Jalgaon, Ahilyanagar, Jalna, Nanded–Waghala and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar -- while the Shiv Sena won 2 (Thane and Kalyan–Dombivli), the Indian National Congress secured 3 (Latur, Bhiwandi–Nizampur and Chandrapur with Shiv Sena (UBT) support), the Bahujan Vikas Aghadi won 1 (Vasai–Virar), and Shiv Sena (UBT) clinched 1 (Parbhani with Congress support).

In the 227-member Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, the BJP-led Mahayuti secured a clear majority with 120 seats—with the BJP winning 93 and Shiv Sena adding 27 -- while the Shiv Sena (UBT)-led alliance won 73 seats (63 by SS-UBT), the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena took 10, and both NCP factions drew a blank.

"Celebration should definitely take place where people have given their mandate. However, when the election process is still on, votes are still being counted, and you are already declaring results on television channels. By 3:30 or 4:00 in the afternoon, you are already celebrating. That means you already know how many seats are to be given to which political parties, and you are declaring it as your victory in advance...All these things also create doubt and suspicion in the minds of the people. Why is all this happening in this manner?," said Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Anil Desai on Maharashtra Civic Polls.

The BJP-Shiv Sena saffron alliance is leading on 130 of 227 seats in the BMC polls, leaving the Thackeray brothers behind on 71. The BJP is emerging as the largest party in India's richest municipality, with 93 seats, while its alliance partner, the Shiv Sena, has 27.

Shiv Sena (UBT) is leading on 62 seats, with MNS on 9. Congress is leading on 14 seats, while NCP (SP) is leading on one.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the results of various municipal corporation elections indicate that NDA’s bond with the people of Maharashtra has further deepened. "Our track record and vision for development have struck a chord. My gratitude to the people across Maharashtra. This is a vote to add momentum to progress and celebrate the glorious culture the state is associated with," he wrote on X.

Thanking the people, he further wrote, "the dynamic people of the state bless the NDA’s agenda of pro-people good governance."

"I am very proud of every NDA Karyakarta who worked tirelessly among people across Maharashtra. They talked about our alliance’s track record, highlighted our vision for the coming times and also effectively countered the lies of the Opposition. My best wishes to them," he said.

"The resounding victory of the Bharatiya Janata Party and Shiv Sena in the municipal corporation elections in Maharashtra is a testament to the faith that the people have shown in the development-oriented policies and public welfare schemes of the double-engine government under the visionary leadership of PM Narendra Modi. On this historic victory, I extend my heartfelt congratulations and best wishes to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Maharashtra BJP President Ravindra Chavan, Mumbai BJP President Ameet Satam, and all the workers. For this historic victory, I express my heartfelt thanks to all the voters," BJP National President JP Nadda wrote on X.

"The people of Maharashtra have delivered a decisive mandate, endorsing the Mahayuti alliance’s performance-driven governance across villages and cities alike. Their faith in the triple-engine leadership reflects a clear preference for progress over divisive politics. Congratulations to Hon. CM Devendra Fadnavis and BJP karyakartas, as Maharashtra advances rapidly under PM Narendra Modi’s transformative vision," posted BJP's K Annamalai on X.

The counting of votes is stuck in at least three seats in Mumbai due to error in EVM or a candidate raising objections over the election process, say reports.

“The resounding victory of the BJP-Shiv Sena alliance in the Maharashtra municipal corporation elections clearly shows that the people across every corner of the country have complete faith only in the development policies of the NDA led by PM Shri @narendramodi ji,” Shah wrote. Calling it a “historic success,” he said the mandate amounted to public approval of the work carried out by the Mahayuti government. He also congratulated Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, BJP state president Ravindra Chavan and party workers for the result.

"We faced these elections with a vision of development under the leadership of PM Modi... That is why we got a record-breaking mandate in these elections... These results have clarified that Maharashtra relies a lot on PM Modi," says Devendra Fadnavis.

"First of all, I want to thank the citizens of Maharashtra for giving a grand victory to the BJP in the municipal elections. BJP and Mahayuti are going to form their 25 mayors after these elections," says Devendra Fadnavis.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis says Mahayuti won 25 out of 29 corporations, and has 'broken all past records', addressing party workers at the State BJP office in Mumbai.

CM Devendra Fadnavis calls up Mumbai BJP president Ameet Satam and congratulates him, as the BJP-Shiv Sena Mahayuti leads in the BMC elections. He also called up State BJP chief Ravindra Chavan and congratulated him.

The Mahayuti alliance is leading in 116 seats, while Shiv Sena (UBT)-led alliance in 83 seats, as per trends.

Shiv Sena (UBT) workers celebrate victory of Hemangi Harish Varlekar from Ward no. 193.

Ward 74: BJP’s three-time corporator Ujwala Modak was narrowly defeated by MNS candidate Vidya Arya, losing by just 81 votes.

Ward 75: Shiv Sena (UBT) candidate Pramod Sawant registered a comfortable victory over BJP’s Umesh Sawant, winning by a margin of over 3,000 votes.

Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis is scheduled to reach BJP headquarters in Mumbai at 3.30 pm, according to News18.

BJP’s Ravi Raja (Ward 185) was defeated.

Shiv Sena’s Samadhan Sarvankar (Ward 194), son of former MLA Sada Sarvankar, lost his seat.

Shiv Sena’s Dipti Waikar (Ward 73), daughter of MP Ravindra Waikar, was also defeated.

BJP’s Prabhakar Shinde (Ward 106) lost to MNS candidate Satyavani Dalwi.

Early trends from Kalyan-Dombivali indicate the BJP and Shiv Sena leading in 37 seats, while the MNS and Shiv Sena (UBT) are ahead on approximately 10 seats.

Celebrations at the BJP Headquarters as the party leaders distribute sweets following Maharashtra civic body elections, which show BJP-Shiv Sena's Mahayuti leading.

BMC Election Results Live Updates: Shiv Sena UBT's Worli candidate celebrates victory with supporters

Supporters of Shiv Sena (UBT) candidate Nishikant Shinde celebrate in Worli.

BMC Election Results Live Updates: BJP supporters and workers celebrate in Navi Mumbai as party leads | Watch

While the long-awaited BMC election saw Mumbaikars come out in vigour to exercise their franchise, a ward in the upscale Colaba area recorded a dismal turnout of 20.88 per cent, keeping up its tradition of muted participation in past polls.

According to final polling data, civic ward 227, which covers parts of Colaba, logged 20.88 per cent turnout, the lowest among Mumbai's 227 civic wards.

The civic ward was unable to manage even half of Mumbai's overall voter turnout of 52.94 per cent, which means only 9,614 residents of the total 46,036 exercised their franchise.

Official BMC trends: 

BJP - 29

Shiv Sena (UBT) - 19

Shiv Sena- 10

Congress - 7

MNS - 2

AIMIM- 4

Samajwadi Party - 1

NCP- 1

NoTA- 1

Former MLA and Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) candidate Yamini Jadhav won BMC Ward No. 209 by defeating Congress candidate Damudi Rafiya Abdul Rashid.

In the 2017 elections, the undivided Shiv Sena had won 84 of 227 seats. At the time, in alliance with the BJP, the coalition had crossed the halfway mark of 114 seats, with the BJP securing 82 seats.

Trends show the BJP-Shiv Sena Mahayuti alliance leading in over 115 wards, while the Shiv Sena (UBT)-MNS combine trails with 70 leads. The Congress is ahead in 13 wards, according to Times of India.

BJP’s Ravi Raja loses ward 185. He was LoP in the previous BMC house. He had switched from Congress to BJP. He lost to Shiv Sena (UBT) candidate.

The counting  in ward number 183 of Dharavi has been put on hold after purported error in one of the EVMs, according to Hindustan Times.

BJP has registered victories in Ward No. 214 and Ward No. 215 in south Mumbai. Meanwhile, counting of votes has begun for Ward No. 216 and Ward No. 217, with results awaited.

BJP MP Anurag Thakur says it was predictable the Congress would “start crying, blaming others” and engage in a politics of accusations.

According to News18, the Mahayuti crossed the majority mark as it raced ahead in 115 seats. The Thackerays lagged behind with leads in 68 seats and the Congress was ahead in only 11 seats.

Till 12.45 pm, early trends indicated the BJP leading on 23 seats, Shinde Sena on 10, Shiv Sena (UBT) on 17, AIMIM on 3, Congress on 6, SP on 1, MNS on 1, and NCP on 1.

Ward 36: First-time corporator Siddharth Sharma (BJP) won with 13,203 votes, defeating Prashant Mahadik (MNS). NOTA votes: 386.

Ward 37: First-time corporator Yogita Kadam (Shiv Sena UBT) secured the seat with 10,981 votes, beating Pratibha Shinde (BJP). NOTA votes: 386.

Ward 88: Sharwari Parab (Shiv Sena UBT) won with 10,675 votes.

Ward 104 (Mulund West): BJP’s former corporator Prakash Gangadhare emerged victorious with 15,569 votes, defeating Rajesh Chavan (MNS), who received 7,238 votes, with a winning margin of 8,331 votes.

Ward 156 (Chandivali): Ashwini Matekar (Shinde Sena) won with 10,056 votes, ahead of Kavita Pawar (Congress) with 5,501 votes. Sanjana Kasle (Shiv Sena UBT) polled 2,791 votes.

Ward 157: Aasha Tawade (Congress) narrowly defeated Sarita Mhaske (Shiv Sena UBT), securing 9,943 votes to Mhaske’s 9,157 votes. Sonali Bansode (Vanchit Aghadi) received 601 votes.

In ward number 156, which encompasses Chandivali area, Ashwini Matekar of Shiv Sena Shinde has won, while Savita Pawar of Congress is trailing.

Asha Kale of the Congress secured victory in Ward 183, Dharavi, defeating the Shiv Sena candidate by 1,240 votes. She credited her win to the efforts of party workers.

Speaking to ANI, Kale said, “The support of our MP Varsha Gaikwad and MLA Jyoti Gaikwad played a key role in this victory. With their blessings, we have won this seat. This is truly the success of our party workers.”

According to reports, results have been declared in eight wards, including one in Dharavi. Here’s who has won where so far:

Ward 1 – Rekha Yadav (Shiv Sena)

Ward 51 – Varsha Tembwalkar (Shiv Sena)

Ward 163 – Shaila Lande (Shiv Sena)

Ward 2 – Tejaswini Ghosalkar (BJP)

Ward 214 – Ajit Patil (BJP)

Ward 183 – Asha Kale (Congress)

Ward 182 – Milind Vidya (Shiv Sena)

Ward 135 – Navnath Ban (BJP)

BJP candidates Hetal Gala in Ward No. 103 and Rajshree Shivdekar from Ward No. 172 have clinched victories, according to News18.

Khairunisa Akbar Husain of AIMIM has won and is the new Ward No. 145 (M/East) corporator-elect in the BMC elections 2026. He defeated NCP’s Shabbir Siddique Khan and INC’s Sufiyan Abdul Mubin.

Maharashtra minister and BJP leader Chandrakant Patil on Friday took aim at the alliance between estranged cousins Uddhav and Raj Thackeray in the recently concluded Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections. He claimed voters viewed the Shiv Sena (UBT)–Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) tie-up as driven by personal interests rather than public welfare.

BJP - 17

Shiv Sena (UBT) - 9

Shiv Sena- 5

Congress - 3

MNS - 1

AIMIM- 2

Samajawadi Party - 1

NCP- 1

NoTA- 1

BJP candidate Shovanand Shetty secured a decisive victory in Ward 9 (Gorai–Yogi Nagar, Old MHB), winning by a margin of over 11,000 votes.

The BJP secured a decisive victory in Ward 103 (Mulund West), winning by a margin of 12,129 votes. MNS candidate Dipti Panchal finished second, polling 5,205 votes.

In the 2017 BMC polls, the seat was won by Afreen Javed Shaikh of the Congress, who garnered 7,681 votes and secured a victory margin of 1,827 votes over her closest challenger.

Tayeba Jaffer Hafizi of the AIMIM finished second with 5,854 votes.

Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray alleged irregularities in the Maharashtra civic elections, calling them an attempt to “murder” democracy.

Addressing reporters, Thackeray described the State Election Commission (SEC) as an anti-constitutional institution and questioned its impartiality. “Who is the Election Commission working for?” he asked, alleging that the ruling Mahayuti alliance had “done no work” and was now “misusing authorities” to its advantage.

Over the past year, Mumbai saw several anti-migrant incidents, particularly involving MNS workers who allegedly targeted migrants for not speaking Marathi.

However, during the local body election campaigns, the migrant issue took a backseat. The Thackerays also avoided alienating migrant voters, wary that heightened polarisation could push them en masse toward the BJP.

BJP – Shiv Sena – RPI (Athawale) alliance

Shiv Sena (UBT) – Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) – NCP (Sharad Pawar) alliance

NCP (Ajit Pawar)

Congress – Vanchit Bahujan Aaghadi (VBA)

Supporting MNS chief Raj Thackeray’s claim that the Election Commission is using markers instead of indelible ink, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday criticised the EC, saying, “Vote chori is an anti-national act.”

Early trends indicate that the BJP is leading in Malabar Hill, South Mumbai, following the postal ballots and the first round of counting. Officials told Indtia Todat that the BJP candidate was ahead by approximately 2,000 votes as initial figures emerged from this high-profile constituency.

In the 2017 BMC polls, Sujata Digvijay Sanap of Shiv Sena won Ward 225 in Colaba, receiving 10,388 votes and defeating her nearest competitor by 3,502 votes.

According to News18, the BJP–Shiv Sena alliance is leading with roughly 60 seats, while the Thackeray-led camp is close to 40 seats. Vote counting is ongoing at designated centres across Mumbai, with leads and margins shifting as the process continues.

The BMC comprises 227 seats, with 114 required for a majority. In the previous 2017 elections, the undivided Shiv Sena won 84 seats, while the BJP secured 82 seats.

Raj Thackeray has been a prominent figure in Maharashtra politics for the past three decades, widely recognised for his powerful oratory and media presence, especially during election seasons. However, following a crushing defeat in the assembly elections that severely weakened his party, the MNS, questions have emerged about his continuing relevance in the political landscape.

BJP-Shiv Sena alliance leads in 15 wards in Mumbai, Thackerays ahead in 10, show very early leads in BMC polls at 10.15 am.

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut expressed serious concerns about the voting process in Mumbai. He said the voting patterns in a city like Mumbai are a "matter of concern". He also criticised the timing of exit polls, stating that exit polls came out even before the voting percentage was announced.

The Mahayuti promised a 50 per cent concession for women in BEST bus travel, while the Thackeray cousins have assured a Rs 1,500 monthly allowance for women domestic helps and a property tax waiver on houses up to 700 sq ft.

Shiv Sena leader Shaina NC stated that “exit polls are only a preview; the final results will be known in two hours. The public has given its verdict for 29 Municipal Corporations based on development and the progress achieved under Eknath Shinde.”

She further commented, “Uddhav Thackeray should reconsider his approach instead of making excuses. Ultimately, it is the people who decide who wins or loses. The message is clear: those who work on the ground get the opportunity, while those who remain inactive are left behind.”

Ward 226 was won by Harshita Ashwin Narwekar of the Bharatiya Janata Party, who secured 11,053 votes, defeating her nearest rival by a margin of 4,201 votes.

The runner-up was Smita Krishna Pawle of Shiv Sena, who received 6,852 votes.

For Raj Thackeray, the contest is being framed as a fight to protect Marathi identity, with the MNS positioning itself as the custodian of Mumbai’s linguistic and cultural character.

Uddhav Thackeray faces significant challenges both within and outside his party. The lack of a strong alliance, along with the continuing impact of the Shiv Sena split, could weaken his standing.

A loss would further reinforce Shinde’s claim that his faction is the “true” successor to Balasaheb Thackeray’s legacy. Additionally, the Shiv Sena (UBT)’s showing in the recent state assembly elections has cast doubt on its ability to challenge the Mahayuti’s dominance.

Ward 227 has emerged as one of the constituencies to watch. Voters in the ward will choose their corporator as part of the wider civic polls that will shape Mumbai’s leadership for the next five years.

In 2017,  this ward was won by Makarand Suresh Narwekar of the Bharatiya Janata Party. He secured 6,987 votes, defeating his closest rival by a margin of 5,046 votes.

A voter turnout of 52.94 per cent was recorded in the Mumbai civic polls, down from 55.53 per cent in the last elections in 2017, officials said on Friday.

The results will be uploaded on the State Election Commission website mahasec.maharashtra.gov.in. You can also find the information on the website of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation . You can also log on to www.moneycontrol.com.

Long before Raj Thackeray entered the scene, this political space was shaped by the undivided Shiv Sena.

In the mid to late 1960s, the Shiv Sena began by targeting Tamil- and Tulu-speaking business owners in areas such as Dharavi, demanding that they “vacate” their premises. By the 1990s, this focus shifted toward migrants from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.

During the 1960s campaign against South Indian migrants, a slogan — “Uthaao lungi, bajaao pungi” (loosely translated as “Lift the lungi, play the pungi”) — was popularised. It mocked traditional attire such as the veshti and mundu, commonly worn in Tamil Nadu and Kerala.

Milind Vaidya – 1996–1997

Vishakha Raut – 1997–1998

Nandu Satam – 1998–1999

Hareshwar Patil – 1999–2002

Mahadeo Deole – 2002–2005

Datta Dalvi – 2005–2007

Shubha Raul – 2007–2009

Shraddha Jadhav – 1 Dec 2009 – 8 Mar 2012

Sunil Prabhu – 9 Mar 2012 – 8 Sep 2014

Snehal Ambekar – 9 Sep 2014 – 8 Mar 2017

Vishwanath Mahadeshwar – 9 Mar 2017 – 21 Nov 2019

Kishori Pednekar – 22 Nov 2019 – 8 Mar 2022

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and Shiv Sena chief Eknath Shinde said the decision on the mayor’s post would be made after the results, while asserting that Mumbai would get a Marathi mayor from the grand alliance.

After corporators’ terms ended in March 2022, Mumbai came under administrator rule. RTI-based inquiries during this period show that over 99 per cent of local development funds were cleared for constituencies represented by MLAs from the ruling alliance, while opposition-held areas saw negligible allocations.

After casting his vote in Nagpur, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis questioned whether the mark made with a marker would fade. He said the Election Commission should examine the issue and consider other options, even suggesting oil paint if needed. Stressing that elections must remain impartial, he added that creating confusion and repeatedly casting doubts was entirely inappropriate.

A Marathi will become the Mayor and the saffron wave will come. Be patient, there is no need to hurry -the process has just begun. We are 100 per cent confident. We are not nervous at all because people have awakened and now understand what is happening in the country: Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Arvind Sawant

Contrary to popular belief, the BMC does not run mainly on property tax. Its income is spread across taxes, fees, state transfers, and investment income, a structure that has quietly reshaped civic politics after GST.

Chandrakant Vaidya, uncle of Uddhav Thackeray and Raj Thackeray, says, “Both the brothers have come together, and they will succeed for sure. I pray to God that they get to rule the BMC, and that will be in the interest of the people of Mumbai. There is no doubt that there will be a Marathi Mayor.”

Indelible ink is a special ink applied to a voter’s finger after they cast their vote. Its sole purpose is to prevent multiple voting by clearly marking that a person has already voted.

The ink is designed to remain visible for several days and cannot be easily washed or rubbed off, ensuring the integrity of the electoral process.

Opposition leaders alleged that voters at several polling booths were being marked with marker pens instead of indelible ink, and that the ink was being erased easily using acetone or sanitiser.

Among the notable names who were seen absent at the polling booths were Amitabh Bachchan, Jaya Bachchan and Abhishek Bachchan. The Bachchan bahu Aishwarya Rai Bachchan also seemed to have given the elections a miss.  Shah Rukh Khan and family were also seen missing on the election day. Madhuri Dixit was also missing at the booth.

Counting will take place in a phased manner, as opposed to the simultaneous counting that earlier took place. According to PTI this change in the counting process could delay the results of the BMC elections. The counting of regular votes will begin at 10 am, an hour after postal ballot counting. Counting for only 46 wards will begin at 10 am.

Although the BMC elections largely revolve around civic governance and infrastructure in Mumbai and its suburbs, they have wider political implications. As the country’s financial capital and a key bellwether, Mumbai’s verdict often offers clues to emerging urban voting patterns ahead of state and national polls.

With an annual budget of around Rs 74,000 crore, it has more money at its disposal than several Indian states, including Goa, Sikkim, and Arunachal Pradesh. It also employs about 1.15 lakh people, including permanent and contractual staff, making it one of the largest civic employers in the country

The elections results for Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation's 227 seats will be out today. The counting of votes for the country's richest civic body will start at 10 am on January 16. The votes were cast on January 15 for 29 civic bodies across the state, with a voter turnout of 46-50 percent, according to the state election commission.

According to Axis My India's predictions, the BJP-Shiv Sena alliance is poised to win 131-151 seats; the Shiv Sena (UBT)-MNS-NCP (SP) alliance 58-68 seats; the Congress-VBA-RSP alliance 12-16 seats; and others 6-12 seats.

In the 2017 elections, the polling percentage in Mumbai was 55.53, while the average voting figure in 26 corporations - elections were held for the first time in Jalna and Ichalkaranji municipal corporations – was 56.35 per cent.

In BMC, whose annual budget is over Rs 74, 400 crore, there were 1,700 candidates in the arena for 227 seats in the elections held after nine years, after a four-year delay.

After the exit polls predicted a victory for the BJP-Shiv Sena alliance in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) polls, Shiv Sena leader Shaina NC welcomed the exit polls and said history is being made by the Mahayuti.

Speaking to ANI, Shaina NC said, "We welcome the exit polls, but tomorrow, post 12 o'clock you will realise that history is being made by the Mahayuti, based on the sheer developmental agenda of Eknath Shinde and Devendra Fadnavis. There are certain people who choose to work from home and people have rejected that. They have only chosen the people who work on the ground, and to make Mumbai a Viksit Mumbai and a Viksit Maharashtra, you need to have leaders like Eknath Shinde who have tirelessly toiled on the vision plan for a pothole-free Mumbai..."

All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) National Spokesperson Waris Pathan on Thursday expressed confidence that the party would achieve "great success" in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) polls.

Speaking to ANI, Waris Pathan said, "This is an exit poll, not an accurate poll, and whatever is being shown, this isn't the first time it's happened. It's happened many times before that something was shown in the poll, and in the end, it turned out to be something else. Tomorrow is the vote counting, so tomorrow the results will come out. By tomorrow evening, everything will be clear. Who won, who lost, everything will be known... We are confident that the people have blessed us with their votes... We will achieve great success..."

The exit polls released after the BMC polls on Thursday predicted a victory for the BJP-Shiv Sena alliance, with the Thackeray brothers finishing second and Congress and its allies not putting up a strong show.

For Raj and Uddhav Thackeray, the local body elections were about restoring diminished stature, with the verdict expected to reveal whether the Thackeray surname still resonates with voters. Their coming together was widely interpreted as a final roll of the dice for the Thackeray legacy.

The cousins pitched the contest as a struggle for the ‘Marathi Manus’ versus the alleged corporate nexus of the BJP–Sena combine. The BJP, contesting in alliance with the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, mounted a unified campaign backed by the Mahayuti’s vast election machinery, and the polls were also viewed as a test of chief minister Devendra Fadnavis’ flagship development narrative.

After the BMC polls concluded on Thursday, exit polls predicted a win for the BJP-Shiv Sena alliance, with the Thackeray brothers finishing second and Congress and its allies not putting up a strong show.

The Axis My India exit poll has predicted 131-151 wards for the BJP and Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena in the 227-member civic body. It forecast 58-68 wards for the alliance of Uddhav and Raj Thackeray. The pollster forecast 12-16 wards for Congress.

BMC polls were held for 227 seats, and a party or alliance needs 114 seats for simple majority.

According to DV Research, the BJP-Shiv Sena alliance is poised to win 107-122 seats; the Thackeray brothers' alliance 68-83 seats; the Congress-led alliance 18-35 seats; and others 8-15 seats.

Meanwhile, the JVC exit poll predicted 138 seats for the Mahayuti and 59 for Shiv Sena (UBT) and Raj Thackeray's MNS. It has also predicted 24 wards for the Congress, which is not contesting as part of its state-level Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA).

For the counting exercise to be held today, 2,299 officers and staff have been deployed, including 759 supervisors, 770 assistants and 770 Class IV employees.

Authorities have made provisions for traffic regulation, parking facilities and separate media enclosures near the counting centres. Results will be tabulated and announced through a computerised system to maintain accuracy and transparency.

In the 2017 BMC polls, Shiv Sena came out to be the single largest party with 84 seats, followed by the BJP with 82 seats Congress finished a distant third with 31 seats, while the NCP and the MNS secured nine and seven seats, respectively.

Counting of votes will commence at 10 am, and the Election Commission’s website will offer live, constituency-wise updates, including vote tallies, leading candidates and evolving trends.

Alongside this, News18 and Moneycontrol will track the results with round-the-clock updates on their digital platforms.