NEW DELHI: Exit polls have projected a massive victory for Mahayuti in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) polls, with the BJP–Shiv Sena alliance set to cross the 130-seat mark in Asia’s richest civic body. In contrast, the Shiv Sena (UBT)–MNS alliance is expected to lag far behind, with projections placing it at just over 60 seats. Congress is likely to get around 20 seats.While the Axis My India poll estimated 141 seats for the alliance, JVC has forecast a tally of 138 wards.Meanwhile, the much-anticipated reunion of estranged Thackeray cousins — Uddhav and Raj — after two decades appears unlikely to translate into significant electoral gains, with the Axis My India exit poll projecting just 63 seats for the alliance. The JVC poll estimated a similar outcome, forecasting 59 wards for the Shiv Sena (UBT)–MNS combine. The last BMC elections were held in 2017, and the term of the corporators ended on March 7, 2022. However, fresh polls could not be conducted on time due to delays caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, Supreme Court rulings on OBC reservations, and issues related to ward delimitation, resulting in the civic body being placed under an administrator.Nearly 50% polling was reported in Mumbai and 28 other municipal corporations across Maharashtra on Thursday. Addressing the media after voting concluded at 5.30pm, state election commissioner Dinesh Waghmare said voter turnout across the 29 civic bodies was estimated to be between 46 and 50%, adding that the final figures would be announced later.
