RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat casts vote in Nagpur Municipal Corporation Election; BMC polling begins

Nagpur (Maharashtra) [India], January 15 (ANI): As polling got underway on Thursday in 29 municipal corporations of Maharashtra, RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat cast his vote for the Nagpur Municipal Corporation Election. After casting his vote, he emphasised the importance of elections in a democratic system and urged voters to choose a suitable candidate with a balanced approach and public welfare in mind. Alongwith the importance of voting, he also mentioned the demerits of NOTA in an election through giving a reference on Mahabharata.
Speaking to the media, he described voting as his first responsibility of the day. "In a Democratic System, elections play a very important part; it's also the responsibility of the citizens. So, through balanced thinking and consideration of the public welfare. It is proper to vote for a candidate; it's our responsibility. It's the first responsibility of the day; therefore, I came and cast my vote first," he said.
In response to a question about NOTA, he acknowledged its importance and described it as a way for people to express their distress with the candidate selection. Citing Bhishma, a Mahabharata character, he said that NOTA can be a form of anarchy, as not voting for anyone can indirectly transfer votes to someone who may not be preferred. He urged the public to vote for any candidate rather than abstain.
"It's correct that NOTA is a way to express people's agitation. But casting no vote means the vote will be indirectly transferred to a candidate who doesn't deserve it. In the Mahabharata, Bhishm has prohibited anarchy. Better than having no one, it is better to give the vote to the candidate who is liked most. The vote should be against a candidate rather than no one; It would be for the better," he said.
Twenty-nine municipal corporations across Maharashtra have begun polling as a high-voltage campaign comes 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 Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Shiv Sena are contesting the civic elections as allies under the Mahayuti banner, except in Pune. However, in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad, both NCP factions have come together under a joint manifesto.
The main political battle remains centred in Mumbai where the BJP-led Mahayuti faces the united Thackeray camp, after Raj Thackeray and Uddhav Thackeray joined hands on the issue of Marathi Manus in a high-stakes fight for control of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (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 PMC civic polls, 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, 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 has begun today and will run from 7.30 am to 5.30 pm, with vote counting scheduled to begin on Friday, January 16.
The State Election Commission announced the election programme for the general elections of 29 municipal corporations on December 15, 2025. Accordingly, voting is being held for the municipal corporations of Brihanmumbai, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Navi Mumbai, Vasai-Virar, Kolhapur, Kalyan-Dombivli, Thane, Ulhasnagar, Nashik, Pune, Pimpri-Chinchwad, Solapur, Akola, Amravati, Nagpur, Chandrapur, Latur, Parbhani, Bhiwandi-Nizampur, Malegaon, Panvel, Mira-Bhayandar, Nanded-Waghala, Sangli-Miraj-Kupwad, Jalgaon, Dhule, Ahilyanagar, Ichalkaranji and Jalna.
According to the State Election Commission, adequate Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) have been arranged for the municipal corporation elections. This includes 43,958 control units and 87,916 ballot units. For the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation alone, 11,349 control units and 22,698 ballot units have been arranged. (ANI)