Polling for the high-stakes Maharashtra civic elections, encompassing Mumbai's Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and 28 other municipal corporations, officially concluded on Thursday, January 15, 2026, at 5:30 PM. Voters in 29 municipal corporations across Maharashtra cast their ballots for 2,869 seats spread across 893 wards, deciding the fate of 15,931 candidates, including approximately 1,700 in Mumbai alone. The State Election Commission (SEC) had declared January 15 a public holiday in these areas to encourage voter participation. The elections for these civic bodies are significant as many have been run by administrators for several years, with Mumbai's BMC being under administrator rule since its previous term ended in March 2022. The electoral process was not without controversy, as allegations surfaced regarding the use of marker pens instead of genuine indelible ink on voters' fingers, leading to concerns about potential re-voting and integrity. The State Election Commissioner, Dinesh Waghmare, addressed these claims, stating that the ink used was indeed the standard indelible marker ink. However, political leaders, including Uddhav Thackeray, raised serious concerns, alleging irregularities and terming the situation a 'murder of democracy'. Devendra Fadnavis, on the other hand, publicly demonstrated the ink's permanence. Exit polls are expected shortly after the conclusion of voting, with the official counting of votes slated to begin at 10 AM on Friday, January 16, 2026, and results anticipated by the end of the day. These elections mark a crucial battle among major political alliances, including the BJP-led Mahayuti and the reunited Thackeray cousins (Uddhav and Raj Thackeray factions) vying for control over the state's powerful civic bodies.