NEW DELHI: The Axis My India exit poll has predicted a landslide victory for the BJP-led NDA in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections.According to the survey, the BJP+ alliance, comprising the BJP and the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, is expected to win between 131 and 151 of the BMC’s 227 seats. The UBT+ bloc, which includes the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena, MNS and NCP (SP), is expected to secure 58-68 seats, while the Congress-led alliance is expected to secure only 12-16 seats. Others are likely to win between six and twelve seats.Polls in Mumbai and 28 other municipal corporations in Maharashtra witnessed an estimated voter turnout of 46 to 50 percent, officials said. This is lower than the 55.53 percent recorded in the 2017 civic polls in Mumbai. Voting ended at 5:30 p.m. amid tight security, with more than 25,000 police officers deployed across the city.
The BMC election, held after a nine-year gap due to delays due to the pandemic, court verdicts on OBC reservations and district delimitation, witnessed a hard-fought battle between the ruling Mahayuti and the reunited Thackeray cousins. In Mumbai alone, over 1,700 candidates were in the fray, with the civic body having an annual budget of over Rs 74,400 crore.The day was marred by controversy over claims that the indelible ink on voters’ fingers could be easily removed. While the State Election Commission rejected the allegations, opposition leaders Uddhav and Raj Thackeray accused the poll body of serious irregularities and demanded accountability.
