"Should be revealed how the Election Commissioner is paid": Uddhav Thackeray questions delay in Maharashtra municipal polls

Mumbai (Maharashtra) January 15 (ANI): Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray on Thursday called for action against the Maharashtra State Election Commissioner, questioning the delay in conducting the state municipal elections.
Uddhav said that it should be revealed how the Election Commissioner is paid and demanded action against those responsible for the delay in the state municipal polls.
"It should be revealed how the Election Commissioner is paid. The Mumbai municipal elections are being held after a nine-year gap. What were the Election Commissioner and his staff doing for these years? Action should be taken against them," Uddhav Thackeray said.
The Shiv Sena (UBT) chief also urged voters to cast their votes, stating that he and his family had exercised their right.
"Our entire family voted together, and we appeal to all voters in all constituencies where elections are being held to cast their votes," he said.
29 municipal corporations across Maharashtra went to the polls today as a high-voltage campaign came to an end, setting the stage for a decisive political contest in key urban centres, including Mumbai, Pune, Nashik, Nagpur, Navi Mumbai, Thane, and Pimpri-Chinchwad.
The Mahayuti is contesting the local body polls largely in a joint alliance, except in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad, where the Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) has chosen to ally with Sharad Pawar's NCP (SP).
In Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad, both NCP factions have come together under a joint manifesto.
The main political battle remains centred on Mumbai and Pune, where the BJP-led Mahayuti will face the united Thackeray camp, as just ahead of the civic polls, Raj Thackeray and Uddhav Thackeray joined hands on the issue of "son of the soil" in a high-stakes fight for control of the BMC, the country's richest civic body.
The last BMC elections were held in 2017.
In Pune, in a major political realignment, both factions of the NCP came together just before the civic polls for the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), following a split in 2023. Ajit Pawar joined hands with Sharad Pawar again and contested against the NDA partner BJP in Pune, whereas Shivsena, led by Eknath Shidne opted to go solo in PMC after failing to set up an acceptable seat-sharing formula with BJP.
According to the State Election Commission (SEC), a total of 3.48 crore voters are eligible to cast their ballots to decide the fate of 15,908 candidates contesting 2,869 seats across 893 wards in 29 municipal corporations. A total of 39092 Polling centre has been set up across the state.
Polling will be held on January 15 from 7.30 am to 5.30 pm, with vote counting scheduled to begin on Friday, January 16. (ANI)