Maharashtra Nagar Parishad Election 2025 polling Highlights: Polling across 264 municipal councils and nagar panchayats in the first phase of the local body elections in Maharashtra has concluded. Polling started at 7.30 am and concluded at 5.30 pm. The counting of votes, which was initially scheduled for December 2, has now been postponed to December 21. The change comes after polling in some areas was delayed until December 20. Following this development, the Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court directed that counting should only take place once voting across all constituencies is completed.
“I have been following local body elections for 25 years, but I have never seen elections where polling is deferred a day before voting. This reflects a system’s failure. Measures should be taken to ensure such errors are not repeated in the future,” Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said.
Congress leader Deepender Singh Hooda alleged that the BJP is working in collusion with the Election Commission to influence election outcomes. He argued that fair elections are a fundamental part of democracy and said the concerns raised about the electoral process must be addressed. “The BJP is colluding with the Election Commission and influencing the election results. There were no fair elections, which are important in a democracy. So, there should be a discussion on this and the questions raised on SIR should be answered,” Hooda told ANI.
In this phase, voters will decide the fate of 6,042 seats and elect 264 council presidents. Nearly one crore eligible voters are expected to participate in the elections, which are part of the multi-tier local governance process directed by the Supreme Court to be completed by January 31, 2026.
Officials said a total of 12,316 polling stations have been set up across the state, and 62,108 polling personnel have been deployed to ensure smooth voting.
The key contest is between the ruling BJP-led Mahayuti alliance and the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), although some areas are expected to see friendly clashes between allied parties.
Polling is currently underway using Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs). These elections are being closely watched as they come after the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance won a strong majority in last year’s Assembly elections.
Voting postponed in some areas
In some districts, elections have been delayed. The State Election Commission found irregularities in how rejected nomination appeals were handled. Because of this, voting in more than 20 municipal bodies has now been shifted to December 20 instead of December 2.
The areas affected include places in Pune, Ahilyanagar, Satara, Yavatmal, Chandrapur, Akola, Amravati, Dharashiv, Solapur, Thane, and Nanded.
Voter details
There are a total of 1,07,03,576 registered voters, including:
-53.79 lakh male voters
-53.22 lakh female voters
-775 transgender voters
The government has declared December 2 a paid holiday so people can vote. Workplaces must give employees either the full day off or at least 2–3 hours of leave to cast their vote.
Maharashtra local body elections 2025 voter turnout LIVE: Voting ends, 47.51% turnout till 3:30 pm
Voting in the first phase of Maharashtra’s local body elections concluded on Tuesday at 5.30 PM, with 47.51 per cent voter turnout recorded till 3.30 PM, officials said. Nearly one crore voters were eligible to cast their votes across 264 municipal councils and nagar panchayats. The final turnout figures are expected later in the evening.
The elections witnessed clashes and stone pelting in several areas, including Roha and Mahad in Raigad, where Shiv Sena and NCP workers reportedly came to blows. Tension also flared in Georai town of Beed district during a scuffle between BJP and NCP workers. In Buldhana, Congress alleged bogus voting, claiming two suspected fake voters were caught at a polling station just 90 minutes after voting began.
Two individuals were reportedly attempting to vote in the name of local resident Vaibhav Deshmukh, while Congress accused Shiv Sena MLA Sanjay Gaikwad of bringing people from rural areas to cast fraudulent votes. Authorities have yet to respond to these allegations.
Maharashtra local body elections 2025 voter turnout LIVE: Congress alleges BJP hijacked civic polls in Maharashtra
Maharashtra Congress chief Harshvardhan Sapkal on Tuesday alleged that the BJP hijacked the ongoing civic elections, while partners within the ruling Mahayuti were seen competing against each other.
“The way civic polls have been conducted it is visible that the BJP had been using power in its favour. Democracy is in danger in the present circumstances,” Sapkal said, emphasizing that the Congress was not contesting for power but for ideology.
Maharashtra local body elections 2025 voter turnout LIVE: Deputy CM Ajit Pawar condemns violence
Amid reports of clashes between Shiv Sena and NCP workers in Raigad during Tuesday’s local body elections, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar stressed that violence has no place in a democracy. He called on all parties, including members of the ruling coalition, to maintain discipline and respect the principles of alliance politics.
"Alliance dharma must be honoured by all partners," Pawar said, referring to tensions between state NCP chief Sunil Tatkare and Shiv Sena minister Bharat Gogawale, who are local rivals in Mahad and Roha.
Describing elections as a "sacred process," he added, "Violence has no place in our democracy. Every voter must be able to exercise their franchise without fear. Let the people decide who they want to elect. Any attempt to disturb peace or influence voters through force is against the Constitution and Maharashtra's values. Such behaviour will not be tolerated."
On Tuesday, polls were held for 264 municipal councils and nagar panchayats across Maharashtra. In several areas, ruling alliance partners — BJP, Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, and Ajit Pawar’s NCP — contested against each other, leading to heightened tensions in some districts.
Maharashtra local body elections 2025 voter turnout LIVE: Election Officials probe Shiv Sena MLA’s alleged polling booth violation
Election authorities have initiated an investigation after a video surfaced showing Shiv Sena MLA Santosh Bangar allegedly entering a polling booth while a woman was casting her vote during Maharashtra’s local body elections in Hingoli district on Tuesday.
Voting is currently underway across 264 municipal councils and nagar panchayats in the state’s first phase of local body polls, with 6,042 seats and 264 council president posts up for grabs.
In the video circulating on social media, Bangar is seen peeking into the booth and speaking to a woman voter.
An election official told reporters, "I have seen the video. But it is incomplete. I have asked the concerned official at the booth to prepare and submit a report on this incident, as he was present on the ground. We will take action based on the report."
It is noted that a member of Bangar’s family is contesting the municipal council polls in Hingoli, adding context to his presence at the polling site.
Maharashtra local body elections 2025 voter turnout LIVE: Fadnavis criticises SEC
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday voiced strong dissatisfaction over the State Election Commission’s decision to delay elections in 24 local bodies, claiming that the SEC had misinterpreted the law while rescheduling the poll process. He further stressed that voters and political workers faced unnecessary uncertainty due to the last-minute change.
“Wrong interpretation of the law”
Speaking to reporters in Nagpur, Fadnavis said, "I don't know who the lawyers of the poll panel are. But whatever has happened is absolutely not right. Now, the Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court has said counting of all the 288 local bodies will be taken up on December 21."
He added that he does not agree with the decision to delay counting for the other 264 municipal councils and nagar panchayats where voting was underway on Tuesday, only because polling in the remaining 24 local bodies has been deferred to December 20. "I feel it is inappropriate," Fadnavis remarked.
Rescheduling sparks frustration among workers
The Chief Minister pointed out that this was the first instance in Maharashtra where a formally announced poll schedule was altered midway, creating disappointment among party workers. "For no fault of theirs, they have to suffer because of the system. I feel the decision of the SEC was based on a completely wrong interpretation of the law. Someone goes to court and doesn't get relief. But just because someone went to court, the election has been postponed," he said.
Despite his criticism, Fadnavis underlined that both the SEC and the courts are independent constitutional authorities and that their orders must be followed. He expressed hope that the election body would improve its approach in future elections.
Fadnavis also commented on the political clashes between Mahayuti allies in Sindhudurg and other regions, stating that such conflicts were avoidable, but overall, the polls were progressing peacefully. He reminded elected leaders to preserve democratic standards, saying they must always uphold dignity and decorum.
Maharashtra local body elections 2025 voter turnout LIVE: Fadnavis criticises SEC for postponing polls
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday voiced his displeasure over the State Election Commission’s decision to postpone elections in 24 local bodies, accusing it of misinterpreting the law. He also questioned the rationale behind deferring the counting of votes in 264 municipal councils and nagar panchayats, where polling is ongoing, simply because elections in 24 other local bodies have been postponed to December 20. Fadnavis suggested that this approach is neither fair nor appropriate.
"I feel it is inappropriate. It is the first time that the poll schedule formally announced has been postponed, resulting in disappointment for honest political workers. For no fault of theirs, they have to suffer because of the system. I feel the decision of the SEC was based on a completely wrong interpretation of the law,” he said.
Maharashtra local body elections 2025 voter turnout LIVE: BJP blames SEC for HC order delaying poll counting
Maharashtra minister and senior BJP leader Chandrashekhar Bawankule on Tuesday criticised the State Election Commission, claiming that the “misinterpretation of laws” by the poll body resulted in the Bombay High Court postponing the counting of votes to December 21. He said the SEC’s decisions were solely responsible for the court’s intervention.
Bawankule added that he had repeatedly warned the commission against delaying the election process and suggested that the current situation could have been avoided had those concerns been addressed earlier.
Maharashtra local body elections 2025 voter turnout LIVE: Congress accuses BJP of influencing election results
Congress leader Deepender Singh Hooda accused the BJP of working in coordination with the Election Commission to influence election outcomes, claiming that the process was not fair.
"The BJP is colluding with the Election Commission and influencing the election results. There were no fair elections, which are important in a democracy. So, there should be a discussion on this and the questions raised on SIR should be answered,” Hooda told ANI.
Adding to it he mentioned that, “We want these questions to be discussed and we hope that the government will conduct the discussion impartially".
#watch Delhi: Congress leader Deepender Singh Hooda said, "The BJP is colluding with the Election Commission and influencing the election results... There were no fair elections, which are important in a democracy. So, there should be a discussion on this and the questions raised… pic.twitter.com/54mE7YCgzE
— ANI (@ANI) December 2, 2025
Maharashtra local body elections 2025 voter turnout LIVE: Slow start to voting in Pune; turnout at 8.37% in first two hours
Voting for the civic body polls in Pune began on a slow note, with only 8.37 per cent turnout recorded in the first two hours across 12 Nagar Parishads and three Nagar Panchayats.
Manchar registered the highest participation so far at 11.49 per cent, while Shirur reported the lowest turnout at 4.57 per cent. Officials expect voting numbers to rise as the day progresses.
To facilitate smoother polling, the district administration has declared a public holiday in areas participating in the elections.
Maharashtra local body elections 2025 voter turnout LIVE: Why does HC postpone the results date?
The Bombay High Court’s Nagpur bench issued the order after a voter moved the court objecting to the State Election Commission’s decision to revise the election schedule for the Warora Municipal Council. On December 1, petitioner Sachin Chute argued that delaying polling and counting in just one division while allowing results in other wards to be declared earlier violates the basic principles of free and fair elections. He claimed such staggered results could influence voters in areas where polling was yet to take place, according to a report by The Indian Express.
Chute requested the court to halt the December 3 declaration of results and ensure that counting across all wards happens simultaneously. In response, the High Court ruled that while polling will continue as scheduled, counting for all affected regions will now take place together on December 21. The court also mandated that the model code of conduct remain in effect until results are announced and barred exit poll publication until voting concludes.
Maharashtra local body elections 2025 voter turnout LIVE: Court allows exit polls after December 20
The court also clarified that exit polls may be published half an hour after the voting concludes on December 20. Until then, the model code of conduct will remain in effect. Candidates contesting in regions where polling was cancelled will continue using their existing election symbols. However, the court declined requests to increase expenditure limits, despite candidates arguing financial losses caused by the postponed elections.
Maharashtra local body elections 2025 voter turnout LIVE: Counting postponed!
The counting of votes for the Maharashtra local body elections, which was initially scheduled for December 2, has now been postponed to December 21. The change comes after polling in some areas was delayed until December 20. Following this development, the Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court directed that counting should only take place once voting across all constituencies is completed.
Maharashtra local body elections 2025 voter turnout LIVE: Maharashtra sees 7.94% turnout by 10 AM
Maharashtra recorded a voter turnout of 7.94% by 10 am as polling for the first phase of the local body elections began at 7:30 am on Tuesday. Voting is underway across multiple districts as residents step out to elect their municipal council representatives.
Maharashtra local body elections 2025 voter turnout LIVE: Voting Underway in Wardha
Voting is underway in Maharashtra’s Wardha district as polling continues in the first phase of the local body elections. A total of 6,042 seats are being contested, along with 264 municipal council president posts across the state.
Maharashtra local body elections 2025 voter turnout LIVE: Women and reserved category representation
A significant portion of today’s seats are reserved—3,492 for women, 895 for SC candidates, 338 ST seats, and 1,821 for OBCs. This structure is expected to encourage new local leadership and shift electoral strategy in several regions where emerging candidates may challenge established political networks.
Maharashtra local body elections 2025 voter turnout LIVE: Congress alleges bogus voting in Buldhana
The Congress party on Tuesday alleged that bogus voters were caught in Maharashtra’s Buldhana district amid voting for 246 municipal councils and nagar panchayats across the state.
According to the party, at the Gandhi Primary School polling center for Ward No. 15 in Buldhana municipal council elections, one person was apprehended after casting a vote in the name of Vaibhav Deshmukh from Kothali, Motala Taluka. Another individual was reportedly with him.
Reports suggest that additional people were brought from Kothali and Ibrahimpur to cast fraudulent votes, with nearly two vehicle-loads of bogus voters allegedly entering Buldhana.
The Congress has urged the police administration to take strict action against this serious violation. Buldhana is the home district of Maharashtra Congress chief Harshavardhan Sapkal.
Maharashtra local body elections 2025 voter turnout LIVE: First major poll after assembly elections
This election is being watched closely as it marks the first major political test after the Assembly elections. The Mahayuti alliance will attempt to maintain its momentum, while the Opposition MVA aims to rebuild influence in urban and semi-urban voter bases.
Maharashtra local body elections 2025 voter turnout LIVE: Visuals from polling station
Visuals from Nagar Panchayat Malegaon Polling Station.
#watch | Washim | Voting for Maharashtra Local Body elections is underway
— ANI (@ANI) December 2, 2025
(Visuals from Nagar Panchayat Malegaon Polling Station) pic.twitter.com/O09TRXc5ro
Maharashtra local body elections 2025 voter turnout LIVE: Polling status in Nagpur
Voting is underway today in fifteen municipal councils and twelve nagar panchayats across Nagpur district. Polling is taking place at 853 centres to elect twenty-seven municipal council presidents and five hundred fifty councillors. A total of 7,29,810 eligible voters are casting their ballots, including 3,64,148 women and 3,65,635 men.
Elections are being held after a long interval in several local bodies, and this gap has sparked strong enthusiasm among voters, many of whom turned out early to participate in the polling process.
Maharashtra local body elections 2025 voter turnout LIVE: How to check election results online
Citizens can track ward-wise and constituency-wise results on the official portals mahasec.maharashtra.gov.in and mahasecelec.in, where live result dashboards will be activated.
Voters can navigate through filters such as district, taluka, local body type, and ward number to check winners. The portal will also offer live polling data, candidate leads, party-wise totals and constituency swing trends. A live "Poll Day Report" section will document turnout and booth-level updates.
Maharashtra local body elections 2025 voter turnout LIVE: Tight security across polling booths
Strong security measures have been put in place to ensure peaceful voting. The State Election Commission has deployed a sufficient number of Electronic Voting Machines, with 17,367 control units and 34,734 ballot units ready for use.
This phase of the polls has turned into a complex political contest, with the BJP-led Mahayuti and the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) taking on each other, while also facing internal “friendly fights” and competition for dominance, especially between the BJP and Shiv Sena.
The electoral process for 288 local bodies, announced on November 4, has already seen legal disputes and friction among alliance partners on both sides.
Via PTI
In Maharashtra’s local body elections, a touching moment was witnessed in Shindkheda Taluka of Dhule district, where a family member carried an elderly woman to the polling booth so she could cast her vote.
VIDEO | Maharashtra Local Body Polls: A family member carries a senior citizen to a polling booth, helping her to cast vote in Shindkheda Taluka, Dhule district.#maharashtranews
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) December 2, 2025
(Full video available on PTI Videos - https://t.co/n147TvrpG7) pic.twitter.com/14TIGeS0fE
Maharashtra local body elections 2025 voter turnout LIVE: Voting underway; special arrangements for elderly, differently-abled
Voting is currently underway at polling booths for the Malegaon Nagar Panchayat elections in Baramati taluka. Security has been tightened to ensure a smooth and fair process, and special arrangements have been made to assist elderly and differently-abled voters.
Elections are being held for 18 seats, including the post of Nagar Adhyaksh (Municipal President), with 22 polling stations set up across the town.
Via PTI
Maharashtra local body elections 2025 voter turnout LIVE: When will results be declared?
Results will be declared tomorrow, December 3. Constituencies that vote on December 20 will have results announced on December 21. Citizens can track ward-wise and constituency-wise results on the official portals mahasec.maharashtra.gov.in and mahasecelec.in, where live result dashboards will be activated.
Visuals from the polling booth in Nagpur-
#watch | Maharashtra: Mock polls underway for the Municipal Councils Elections
— ANI (@ANI) December 2, 2025
Visuals from a polling station in Nagpur. pic.twitter.com/9SoyTjBFpE
Maharashtra local body elections 2025 voter turnout LIVE: Voting begins!
Voting begins for the 1st phase of local body election in Maharashtra. The key contest is between the ruling BJP-led Mahayuti alliance and the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), although some areas are expected to see friendly clashes between allied parties.
Maharashtra local body elections 2025 voter turnout LIVE: State declares paid holiday
To boost civic participation, the Maharashtra government has declared December 2 a paid holiday. Workplaces have been instructed to allow employees either the full day or at least 2–3 hours to vote. This move is expected to especially increase turnout in industrial zones, urban workplaces, and daily-wage regions.
Maharashtra local body elections 2025 voter turnout LIVE: Polling postponed in select constituencies
Voting in more than 20 municipal bodies has been pushed to December 20 due to irregularities in rejection of nomination papers. The affected regions include Pune, Ahilyanagar, Satara, Thane, Amravati, Solapur, and Yavatmal.
Voting will take place today across 242 municipal councils and 42 nagar panchayats, where citizens will elect 6,859 members and 288 council presidents. Candidates across major parties including BJP, Shiv Sena factions, NCP factions, Congress, and numerous independents have been campaigning aggressively with promises tied to water supply, sanitation, local infrastructure and governance reforms
Maharashtra local body elections 2025 voter turnout LIVE: Voters dynamic
As polling is about to begin, election officers are expecting a steady turnout through the morning, with higher participation anticipated by mid-day as more people step out after work hours or morning schedules. With over 1.07 crore voters, including 53.79 lakh men, 53.22 lakh women, and 775 transgender voters, the turnout patterns today will offer early hints about voter enthusiasm and engagement across rural and urban belts.