Maharashtra Congress president Harshwardhan Sapkal on Saturday demanded the resignation of Union Minister Murlidhar Mohol, alleging his involvement in the issuance of a passport to a known criminal. Mohol, however, has already denied the allegation, reported the PTI. Sapkal referred to Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar’s press conference held on Friday to intensify his attack on the BJP leader. Ajit Pawar had defended the decision to give election tickets to candidates with criminal backgrounds for the upcoming civic polls, stating that no individual can be termed a criminal until proven guilty. He also cited allegations levelled against him in the past, including the Rs 70,000-crore irrigation scam, to underline his point, according to the PTI. His remarks came after Mohol criticised the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) for fielding candidates allegedly linked to criminal activities. Reference to fugitive gangster In an apparent reference to gangster Nilesh Ghaywal, who reportedly fled the country while facing a firing case, Pawar questioned who had facilitated his escape. The Opposition has accused Mohol of playing a role in securing a passport for Ghaywal, a charge the minister has rejected. “It is a matter of grave concern for national security that a person with a known criminal background could obtain a passport through political influence. This is a direct violation of the Passport Act, 1967,” Sapkal said, citing Ajit Pawar’s comments. Call for CBI probe Sapkal demanded that Mohol, who serves as Minister of State for Civil Aviation and Cooperation, resign immediately. He also called for a high-level investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to expose what he described as a political–criminal nexus, as per PTI. Attack on ruling coalition Criticising the ruling Mahayuti alliance, Sapkal said those who once labelled Pawar the “king of corruption” were now sharing power with him, exposing the double standards of the coalition. The Mahayuti comprises the BJP, the NCP led by Ajit Pawar, and the Shiv Sena led by Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. “Corruption among those in power prevents accountability. If the government is serious about its clean image, it must explain how individuals facing serious allegations are being protected,” Sapkal said, the news agency reported. Claims of challenge to top leadership Sapkal further claimed that Pawar’s assertion of sharing power with leaders who once accused him amounted to a direct challenge to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. Allegations against assembly speaker The Congress leader also urged the Election Commission to act on allegations against Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar, who has been accused of violating the model code of conduct during the ongoing civic election process, reported PTI. Narwekar, the BJP MLA from Colaba in south Mumbai, has dismissed the accusations as baseless and politically motivated. “The Election Commission should act, if not in deference to public opinion, then at least guided by its conscience. An offence should have been registered by now, but the Commission appears to be acting at the behest of the BJP,” Sapkal alleged. Elections to 29 municipal corporations across Maharashtra will be held on January 15, with counting scheduled for the following day. (with PTI inputs)
03 January,2026 10:44 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentWith the battle for control of Mumbai civic body intensifying ahead of the BMC Election 2026, the ruling Mahayuti alliance on Saturday launched a sharp political attack on its rivals while projecting development and governance as its core agenda. Addressing a joint rally of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena at the NSCI Dome in Worli, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis described the BMC elections as a contest to change Mumbai’s image and improve the lives of its citizens. Fadnavis said the Mahayuti was a coalition that delivered on its promises, unlike others who, he claimed, relied only on empty rhetoric -- a veiled reference to the Shiv Sena (UBT). "Vote us to power in the BMC and see the difference we make to the city," the Chief Minister urged. Fadnavis also used the rally to counter claims made by the Thackeray cousins over the Marathi identity of Mumbai’s leadership. "Mumbai’s mayor will be Marathi only," he said. First joint public meeting of the BJP–Shinde Sena alliance The rally marked the first joint public meeting of the BJP–Shinde Sena alliance for the prestigious civic polls. The undivided Shiv Sena ruled the BMC for nearly 25 years. Until 2017, the Shiv Sena and the BJP jointly governed the civic body before contesting separately in that year’s elections. In 2017, the undivided Shiv Sena emerged as the single largest party with 84 seats, while the BJP followed closely with 82 seats in the 227-member civic body. Echoing similar views, Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said that Balasaheb Thackeray was "the only brand". He was responding to claims by Uddhav Thackeray and Raj Thackeray that the Thackeray brand had reunited. Mumbai’s mayor would be Marathi The Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) and Shiv Sena (UBT) have claimed that if the BJP–Shinde alliance comes to power, Mumbai could get a non-Marathi mayor. Both Fadnavis and Shinde reiterated that Mumbai’s mayor would be Marathi. Shinde appeals to citizens to vote for alliance In 2022, Shinde led a rebellion within the Shiv Sena that forced Uddhav Thackeray to step down as chief minister, leading to the collapse of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government. Shinde later joined hands with the BJP to form a new government in Maharashtra. Continuing his attack, Shinde said during the rally, "It was Balasaheb Thackeray’s dream to see the Ram temple constructed, and Narendra Modi fulfilled it. Those who tried to create hurdles in Mumbai Metro projects should answer to the people." He added that Modi had provided Mumbai with much-needed projects and support, which, he claimed, earlier Congress-led governments at the Centre had failed to deliver. Rejecting allegations that the Union government was weakening Mumbai, Shinde said it was instead working to strengthen and unite the city. "We must bring a government aligned with our ideology to the BMC," Shinde said, appealing to citizens to vote for the BJP–Shinde-led Shiv Sena alliance. The BMC polls Elections to the BMC and 28 other municipal corporations will be held on January 15, with counting scheduled for the following day. With civic polls approaching, the Fadnavis–Shinde leadership is seeking to wrest control of Mumbai’s civic body from the Thackeray-led camp, promising improved infrastructure, better governance and faster development to reassert political dominance in the city. Aim to make Mumbai more safer and more liveable Calling for stricter law enforcement and infrastructure expansion, Fadnavis said his government’s priority was to make Mumbai more safer and more liveable. He added that authorities would identify and take action against illegal Bangladeshi migrants living in the city and deport those found to be staying unlawfully. Launching another veiled attack on the Thackeray cousins, Fadnavis said, "The Marathi manoos has been pushed out of the city over the years. Who is responsible for the decline of Mumbai’s traditional working-class communities, including mill workers?" Concluding his speech, the Chief Minister outlined plans to ease daily commuting problems. "New roads, bridges, tunnels and freeways are part of a larger plan to decongest traffic and reduce travel time," Fadnavis said, adding that Mumbaikars should not have to spend hours stuck on the roads.
03 January,2026 10:03 PM IST | Mumbai | Sanjeev ShivadekarA total of 15,931 candidates are in the fray for elections to 29 municipal corporations in Maharashtra on January 15, the State Election Commission (SEC) announced on Saturday for the upcoming Maharashtra local body elections, reported the PTI. According to the SEC, 33,247 nominations were filed, of which 24,771 were declared valid after scrutiny. Out of these, 8,840 candidates withdrew their nominations before the deadline at 3 pm on Friday. The elections cover 2,869 seats spread across 893 wards. Except for Mumbai, which has 227 seats, the remaining municipal corporations feature multi-member wards. 1,700 candidates to contest in BMC polls In Mumbai, the country’s financial capital, 2,516 nominations were filed, and 2,153 were found valid. After 453 candidates withdrew, 1,700 candidates remain in the race for the upcoming Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections. Around 2,516 nomination papers received were scrutinised on Wednesday, December 31, 2025, civic officials said. As many as 164 nomination papers were declared invalid during scrutiny, while the remaining 2,185 nomination papers were declared valid. The deadline for withdrawing nominations or candidature applications was Friday. As of Saturday’s latest update, 167 nomination papers were declared invalid, 2,231 were found valid, and 453 were withdrawn, bringing the final number of candidates to 1,700, officials said. Pune records highest Number of withdrawals Pune Municipal Corporation saw the highest withdrawals among the 29 civic bodies. Out of 3,061 nominations, 2,134 were valid, but 968 candidates withdrew, leaving 1,166 candidates contesting 165 seats across 41 wards. Nagpur, Nashik, and other cities In Nagpur Municipal Corporation, with 38 wards and 151 seats, 1,442 nominations were received, 1,293 declared valid, and after 300 withdrawals, 993 candidates remain, the data showed on Saturday. Other notable withdrawals include -- - Nashik - 661 - Solapur - 532 - Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar - 552 - Pimpri-Chinchwad - 443 - Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar - 859 - Nashik - 735 - Navi Mumbai - 499 Final candidate list released The SEC stated that the release of the final candidate list marks the completion of the scrutiny and withdrawal process, paving the way for polling on 15 January and counting of votes the following day.
03 January,2026 08:52 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentMumbai Customs department on Saturday said that it has seized diamonds, gold and drugs worth crores of rupees at Mumbai airport and nabbed the passengers involved in smuggling them. According to the Mumbai Customs, during checking at Mumbai airport between December 30 and 31, 2025, officers of the Airport Commissionerate of Mumbai Customs Zone–III intercepted several high-value items being smuggled by some of the passengers. In one case, 849.6 carats of diamonds worth approximately Rs 2.52 crore were recovered from a passenger who had concealed the diamonds inside their body cavity. Gold smuggling cases Customs officials recovered gold in multiple cases. In one such case around 89 grams of 24-carat gold rhodium-plated buttons valued at Rs 11.35 lakh from a passenger. In an another case, 1.47 kg of 24-carat gold dust in wax form, worth around Rs 1.87 crore, was recovered from a passenger and an airport staff member. The operation involved Bangladeshi transit passengers handing over the gold to airport staff. The officials also recovered 160 grams of 24-carat gold valued at Rs 20.41 lakh from two passengers, based on specific intelligence in a separate case. Hydroponic weed seizures The officials also intercepted suspected hydroponic weed in two separate cases. In the first such case, 8.008 kg, worth an estimated Rs 8.008 crore in the illicit market, from a passenger arriving from Bangkok. The individual was arrested under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985. In a different case, 1.946 kg, valued at approximately Rs 1.946 crore, was seized from another Bangkok passenger arriving at airport, who was also arrested under the NDPS Act. Strict measures based on profiling and intelligence Officials said the operations were carried out using spot checks, APIS profiling, and specific intelligence inputs to ensure prevention of smuggling and illegal activities at Mumbai airport.
03 January,2026 08:34 PM IST | Mumbai | Samiullah KhanA leopard that had entered Parijat Society, a residential building in Bhayandar East in Thane district of Maharashtra was released into the wild and its monitoring has shown that it is adapting to its natural habitat, officials said on Saturday. Maharashtra Forest Department had on December, 19, 2025 safely rescued the leopard after it entered into a housing society and attacked multiple people. The animal was captured by rescue teams from Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP) and the Thane Forest Division. Health check at SGNP Veterinary officers confirmed that the animal was healthy. Pic/SGNP/Maharashtra Forest Department After the rescue, the leopard was taken to Sanjay Gandhi National Park, Borivali, for a medical examination. Veterinary officers confirmed that the animal was healthy and had not suffered any injuries during the rescue operation. Forest minister visits site and injured locals Maharashtra Forest Minister Ganesh Naik visited the site on 20 December 2025 to review the situation. He also met injured residents at a hospital to enquire about their condition. Following his directions, forest officials decided to monitor the leopard closely before releasing it back into the wild. Decision to use satellite tracking A committee decided to fit the leopard with a Satellite GPS collar. Pic/SGNP/Maharashtra Forest Department A committee formed by the Chief Wildlife Warden and Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife), Maharashtra, along with senior forest officials from the western region, reviewed the case. After a detailed presentation by officials from SGNP, the committee decided to fit the leopard with a Satellite GPS collar and a microchip before releasing it into its natural habitat. Leopard released with GPS collar The leopard was fitted with a GPS satellite collar and microchip at SGNP after completing medical checks. It was then released into its natural habitat on 25 December 2025. GPS satellite collar and microchip fitted on leopard. Pic/SGNP/Maharashtra Forest Department The operation was carried out by teams from SGNP and the Thane Forest Division under the supervision of Anitta Patil, Conservator of Forests and Director, SGNP, and Sachin Repal, Deputy Conservator of Forests, Thane. Monitoring to reduce human-wildlife conflict The GPS collar allows forest officials and a research team from an NGO to track the leopard’s movement using GPS and radio signals. This will help officials study leopard behaviour and reduce human–leopard conflict in the region. Forest staff are also gaining training in modern wildlife monitoring techniques through this initiative. Leopard’s movement can be tracked with GPS. Pic/SGNP/Maharashtra Forest Department Leopard settling back into the wild Since its release, officials have observed that the leopard is moving within its natural forest area and gradually stabilising. No further conflict has been reported so far. Ganesh Naik, Forest Minister, Maharashtra, said, "Leopard conflict is increasing across the state. This was a young leopard that likely lost its way and entered the city. To understand its movement and prevent future conflicts, we fitted a radio collar and released it back into the forest. Our teams are monitoring it day and night and will respond immediately if required." Leopard was seen settling well into its natural habitat. Pic/SGNP/Maharashtra Forest Department Tracking after release Anitta Patil, Conservator of Forests and Director, SGNP, said, "The Forest Department is committed to protecting both people and wildlife. GPS tracking after release helps us make informed decisions and supports peaceful coexistence between humans and wildlife." View this post on Instagram A post shared by mid-day (@middayindia)
03 January,2026 08:08 PM IST | Mumbai | Ranjeet JadhavWith the BMC election 2026 just around the corner, Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut on Saturday launched a scathing attack over the unopposed election, especially of Mahayuti nominees in municipal polls across Maharashtra. The Shiv Sena (UBT) leader stated that even the big leaders of this country were never elected unopposed. Sanjay Raut said, "Atal Bihari Vajpayee was never elected unopposed, nor were Barrister Nath Pai, Vasantdada Patil, Ram Manohar Lohia, or even Narendra Modi. However, a new trend has started in Maharashtra where 'Sama, Dana, Danda, Bheda (persuasion, money, punishment, and division)' are being used to ensure unopposed victories," as cited by news agency IANS. Raut also added that journalists, political analysts, and the public were well aware that such a high number of unopposed candidates is unprecedented. He also added that this is not just in the country’s history but in the history of the world. Describing the tactics used, Raut, while speaking at the press conference, alleged that candidates were forced to withdraw not just through the misuse of election machinery but by "showering" them with money. "Opponents were being paid five crore rupees each to step down," as per IANS. While citing the example of Kalyan, the Shiv Sena (UBT) leader stated that the amount offered to Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) city chief Manoj Gharat to withdraw was "eye-popping". Regarding the situation in Jalgaon, Raut alleged, "Bags containing five crore rupees each were sent to the houses of candidates to force them to withdraw. The candidates were left stunned by the sheer amount of money. Such a massive play of wealth has never been seen before in this democracy.” In view of demanding an investigation on this particular matter, Sanjay Raut said, "The election officials had clear instructions. Although the deadline for withdrawal was 3:00 PM, instructions were issued from the offices of the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister to accept applications even after that time and backdate them to before 3:00 PM," reported IANS. “Check the phone calls and records of everyone involved. Investigate who called whom in the last 24 hours — which Guardian Minister, which Minister, or which office made the calls. If this is investigated, the mystery behind these unopposed withdrawals will be revealed,” Shiv Sena (MP) Sanjay Raut. Raut also expressed deep concern over the state’s image, saying, "These incidents have dragged Maharashtra’s prestige through the dust. The state has been completely defamed. If 60 people are being elected unopposed, what kind of election is this? What are the voters supposed to do?" Speaking at the press conference on Saturday, he further questioned the role of the regulatory body, asking, "Has this question ever occurred to the Election Commission? The Election Commission has become a 'pet cat' sitting under the plates of these corrupt individuals." Sanjay Raut slams NCP chief Ajit Pawar Meanwhile, Raut also reacted to NCP chief and Deputy CM Ajit Pawar’s scathing attack accusing the BJP leaders from Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation of reaching the "pinnacle of corruption.” He further claimed they possess a "monstrous hunger" to enrich their families through illicit means. He reminded the public of the origins of the corruption allegations against the Deputy CM. Raut further emphasised, “We did not level the Rs 70,000 crore irrigation scam allegations against Ajit Pawar. It was Prime Minister Narendra Modi who made those charges during a rally in Bhopal. Ironically, just eight days later, Ajit Pawar joined the Cabinet. The BJP must now answer what happened to those allegations," as per IANS. (With inputs from IANS)
03 January,2026 05:50 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentSenior Indian Police Service (IPS) officer and 26/11 terror attack hero cop Sadanand Vasant Date on Saturday assumed charge as the Director General of Maharashtra Police. He succeeds Rashmi Shukla, the state’s first woman DGP, who retired the same day. The 59-year-old officer formally took over at the state police headquarters, following his appointment on December 31. Date will serve a two-year tenure, leading a police force of more than two lakh personnel. From NIA chief to home cadre Before his appointment, Date was serving as the Director General of the National Investigation Agency (NIA). He was recently repatriated to his Maharashtra cadre at the request of the state government. He belongs to the 1990 batch of the IPS. Role during 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks Date is widely recognised for his role during the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks in 2008. At the time, he was serving as Additional Commissioner of Police (Central Region), Mumbai. He led a police team that cornered terrorists Ajmal Kasab and Abu Ismail on the rooftop of Cama Hospital in south Mumbai. Despite sustaining serious injuries from grenade splinters, Date continued to engage the terrorists. For his bravery, he was later awarded the President’s Police Medal for Gallantry, as per the PTI. Distinguished Policing Career Over the years, Date has held several key positions, including -- - Chief of Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) - First Commissioner of Police for Mira-Bhayandar-Vasai-Virar - Joint Commissioner of Police (Law and Order and Crime), Mumbai - Deputy Inspector General in the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) - Inspector General (Operations) in the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) Academic achievements and international exposure Date holds a doctorate in economic offences from Pune University. In 2005, he was awarded the Humphrey Fellowship, under which he studied economic crime and organised crime abroad, reported the PTI. Raised in Pune, Date experienced financial hardship during his early years and at one point sold newspapers to support his family. Despite these challenges, he excelled academically, topping his BCom and ICWA examinations before successfully clearing the UPSC, according to the PTI. Date has also authored a Marathi book titled 'Varditlya Mansachya Nondi' (Notes of a Man in Uniform), which chronicles his experiences and reflections from a life in policing. (with PTI inputs)
03 January,2026 05:38 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentIn an extremely unfortunate incident, a fire broke out at a residential high-rise building in Andheri West on Friday afternoon. As soon as the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s Mumbai Fire Brigade (MFB) received the information about the blaze, the officials rushed to the spot to take the situation under control. Along with the MFB, other emergency agencies were also mobilised near the spot. As per the information received by the BMC’s fire department, the incident was reported at 2:10 pm on January 3, 2026. The fire occurred at Chandiwala Pearl Regency, located on S V Road, opposite Andheri Subway. The blaze was initially reported on the first floor of the stilt-plus-18-storey building. The MFB subsequently declared the incident as a Level-I (LI) fire at 2:37 pm. Electric duct resulted in smoke lodging As per the latest update issued at 2:50 pm, the fire was found to be confined to the electric duct extending from the first to the 10th floor, resulting in smoke lodging inside the building. Multiple fire tenders were rushed to the spot, along with teams from the Mumbai Police, staff of the concerned electricity distribution company, 108 ambulance services, and BMC ward staff. DN Nagar Police and Fire Brigade officials are on site. It has also been reported that a total of 27 residents from 1st, 2nd and 3rd floor were evacuated. Furthemore, a resident was taken to Cooper Hospital owing to troubles caused by suffocation due to smoke lodging. Fortunately, no injuries have been reported so far, and the MFB is working to make things normal. Firefighting and smoke ventilation operations are still underway to prevent the fire from spreading further. Fire broke out on the 14th floor of an Andheri high-rise In a different scenario, a Level-I fire broke out in a residential high-rise building in Andheri (West) last week, prompting swift action by civic authorities. The incident was reported at 10:05 am on December 25 to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s (BMC) Mumbai Fire Brigade (MFB) control room. According to officials, the fire occurred at Sorrento Tower, located on Veera Desai Road near Country Club. The blaze was confined to electrical wiring and installations within the electric shaft between the 10th and 21st floors. Firefighters also found that routers, shoe racks, wooden furniture and other materials near the electric duct on multiple floors were affected. The building comprises a stilt, four podium levels, and residential floors from the 5th to the 22nd storey.
03 January,2026 04:38 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentWith the deadline for withdrawal ending on Friday, January 2, 453 nominations were withdrawn across Mumbai. A total of 1,700 candidates will now contest the upcoming BMC Election 2026, officials said. The Mumbai civic polls are scheduled for January 15, 2026. The final list of contesting candidates will be published by the civic body on Saturday. Election symbols to be allotted The election symbols will also be allotted to the candidates from 11 am on Saturday, January 3, 2026. According to the officials, a total of 11,391 nomination papers were distributed by the civic body for filing nominations for the BMC elections. Of these, 2,516 forms were filed by the deadline of December 30, 2025. 2,516 nomination papers received The 2,516 nomination papers received were scrutinised on Wednesday, December 31, 2025. As many as 164 nomination papers were declared invalid during scrutiny, while the remaining 2,185 nomination papers were declared valid. The deadline for withdrawing nominations or candidature applications was Friday. As of Saturday’s latest update, 167 nomination papers were declared invalid, 2,231 were found valid, and 453 were withdrawn, bringing the final number of candidates to 1,700.
03 January,2026 04:16 PM IST | Mumbai | Eshanpriya MSEasing traffic congestion at the Kapadia Nagar Junction, a new road has been opened by the civic body, providing a shortcut to those travelling between the University of Mumbai Gate No. 1 in Kalina and Bharat Nagar in Bandra East. However, commuters say that the infrastructure needed for the road is still not in place. As this reporter reached the area, it was obvious that the road itself is very hard to locate while trying to get onto it from the university side. Making the situation worse, the road, which is almost as wide as a four-lane road, has an exit/entry point from the university side about the size of a single lane. Jitendra Gupta, Citizens Transport Committee Activist AV Shenoy of the Mumbai Vikas Samiti, who noticed this, said, “The infrastructure is very lacking, and the route becomes unsafe for anyone who wants to walk on the road after dark. It is difficult to navigate an unlit road. If the authorities decided to open it for public use, infrastructure should have been in place.” A section of the road that is still under construction The road is also incomplete, with a section of the route in the Bharat Nagar direction still under construction. This results in traffic in both directions plying on the same side of the road along the stretch, without any divider. An autorickshaw driver requesting anonymity, told mid-day, “It gets difficult when there are two cars or bigger vehicles coming together. This will remain an accident-prone area until the work is completed.” An extremely narrow, damaged section of the new road Local resident and Citizens Transport Committee member Jitendra Gupta, told mid-day, “The road has a good purpose — connecting two places that previously took a lot more time to get to. But till the infrastructure isn’t completed, it is a concerning area on the safety front.” AV Shenoy, activist, Mumbai Vikas Samiti He added that the work should be completed as soon as possible. “This would make the road safe for motorists and pedestrians.” mid-day contacted the BMC H East ward to check when the work would be completed, but did not receive a response till the time of going to press.
03 January,2026 04:02 PM IST | Mumbai | Madhulika Ram KavatturMunicipal Commissioner and Election Officer Saurabh Rao said detailed planning was underway to ensure that polling is conducted smoothly, transparently and without disruption. The civic body has finalised 2,013 polling stations across nine ward committees within the Thane Municipal Corporation limits. Each polling station will be supplied with over 100 types of essential voting materials, including EVMs, control and ballot units, voter lists, seals, stamps, indelible ink, polling registers, forms, envelopes, identity slips and instruction boards. Facilities and materials for senior citizens and persons with disabilities, along with sanitation and COVID-related supplies, will also be made available at polling stations. Officials said the materials are being inspected, counted and packed ward-wise, with separate kits prepared for each polling station. The process is being closely monitored by election officers, assistant election officers and observers. The election department said the administration is fully prepared to ensure that polling staff and voters face no inconvenience on polling day, adding that all arrangements are in place to conduct the civic elections peacefully. Maharashtra civic polls 2026: Postal voting facility for Thane civic employees on election duty With the Maharashtra civic polls 2026 scheduled on January 15, the TMC announced a special postal voting facility for its officers and employees appointed on election duty, ensuring that they are not deprived of their right to vote. As per a statement issued by TMC, a large number of employees working within the civic body limits are registered as voters in other civic areas such as Mumbai, Dombivli, Kalyan, Badlapur, Nerul, and Panvel, where they reside. As these employees have been deployed for election-related duties, the civic administration has made arrangements for them to cast their votes through postal ballots. Maharashtra civic polls 2026: Easing the voting process for officials on duty The facility has been introduced in view of the simultaneous conduct of municipal corporation elections across the state, which would otherwise prevent many staff members from voting at their registered locations. Deputy Commissioner Dinesh Tayade has been appointed as the nodal officer to oversee the implementation of the postal voting process. TMC said that under the arrangement, employees must fill out the prescribed postal ballot application form and submit it along with proof of their inclusion in the voter list of the concerned municipal corporation and a copy of their election duty appointment order. Once verified, the postal ballot will be sent directly to the employee’s residential address.
03 January,2026 03:13 PM IST | Thane | mid-day online correspondentADVERTISEMENT
