Maharashtra Civic Polls: High-Stakes Battle for BMC Control on Jan 15

• Voting for 29 municipal corporations in Maharashtra, including the cash-rich BMC, is scheduled for January 15.
• The BJP-led Mahayuti faces the united Thackeray camp in Mumbai for control of the BMC, a key political battleground.
• Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis predicted MNS chief Raj Thackeray would be the biggest loser from his alliance with Uddhav Thackeray.
• The BMC polls are the Shiv Sena's first civic election since its 2022 split, with Eknath Shinde leading a breakaway faction.
• Around 3.48 crore voters will decide the fate of 15,931 candidates across 2,869 seats, with counting on January 16.

Why It Matters: Maharashtra civic polls on Jan 15 feature a crucial contest for BMC, with major political alliances vying for power.