BMC Election Battlelines Drawn: Rebels Stay Back as 453 Candidates Exit Race on Withdrawal Day

Mumbai: The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections have entered a decisive phase, with intense political manoeuvring unfolding on the final day for withdrawal of nominations. While party leaderships across alliances managed to rein in several disgruntled aspirants, a significant number of rebel candidates chose to stay in the contest, setting the stage for multi-cornered fights in several wards.

Election officials confirmed that out of 2,185 candidates who had filed valid nomination papers, as many as 453 withdrew their names on Friday, the last day permitted under election rules. This leaves 1,729 candidates officially in the fray for Mumbai’s 227 civic seats.

The nomination process itself saw heavy participation. A total of 2,516 nomination forms were submitted, as several aspirants filed papers from more than one ward. Scrutiny led to the rejection of 164 nominations due to technical deficiencies, bringing the final count of eligible candidates to 2,185 before withdrawals.

Behind the scenes, Friday witnessed frantic negotiations. Senior leaders from major political formations—including the BJP–Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) alliance and the Shiv Sena (UBT)–MNS combine—worked through the day to persuade rebels to step aside in favour of official nominees. While these efforts paid off in multiple wards, party unity remained elusive in others.

In several constituencies, rebel candidates have chosen to directly challenge their own parties, threatening to split votes. Former corporators and denied ticket aspirants continue to contest as independents in key wards, complicating electoral calculations and increasing internal tensions within parties.

At the same time, a number of high-profile rebels did heed party appeals and withdrew at the last moment, preventing direct confrontations and ensuring straight fights in select wards. These last-minute exits have reshaped the electoral landscape, but not without leaving scars within party ranks.