Brief by Shorts91 Newsdesk / 04:38am on 03 Jan 2026,Saturday Politics
In the lead-up to the January 15 civic elections in Maharashtra, 68 candidates from the BJP and its Mahayuti allies were declared winners unopposed, with 44 from the BJP, 22 from Shiv Sena (Shinde) and two from NCP after opposition contenders withdrew their nominations or failed to file papers, particularly in key bodies like Kalyan-Dombivli and Pune. BJP leaders credited the sweep to the party’s popularity and strong election strategy. However, opposition parties accused the ruling alliance of using money, pressure and undue influence on returning officers to force withdrawals, calling the process unfair and undermining democracy. (PC: HT)
