BJP–Shiv Sena (Shinde Faction) Workers Clash in Kalyan-Dombivli Ahead of Maharashtra Civic Polls

Kalyan: Just days before Maharashtra goes to the polls for crucial municipal elections, political tension spilled onto the streets in Kalyan-Dombivli, where workers from two ruling alliance partners were involved in a violent confrontation. The incident has raised concerns about law and order during the final phase of campaigning.

The clash allegedly stemmed from a dispute over the distribution of money in the area. During the altercation, Omkar Nath Natekar, husband of BJP candidate Arya Natekar, sustained injuries and was later provided medical treatment. The BJP has accused supporters linked to a candidate from the Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde group) of being responsible for the assault.

The incident has highlighted growing friction within the ruling alliance as campaigning reaches its peak. With elections only two days away, political parties are making last-minute efforts to consolidate support, while rivalries at the local level appear to be intensifying.

Tuesday also marked the final day of campaigning for elections to 29 municipal corporations across Maharashtra. Senior leaders are undertaking aggressive outreach to voters. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis is leading multiple campaign events, including a roadshow in Nagpur, where he is expected to personally ride a motorcycle, and a public rally in Pune later in the day. Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar is also concluding his campaign with a roadshow in Pune during the morning hours.

The State Election Commission (SEC) has scheduled polling for all 29 municipal corporations on January 15, with vote counting set for January 16. These elections are significant as several major civic bodies, including the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), have been awaiting elections for nearly two years.

In total, 2,869 seats are at stake across urban centres such as Mumbai, Thane, Navi Mumbai, Pune, Nashik, Nagpur, and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar. The SEC has stated that approximately 3.48 crore voters are eligible to cast their ballots.

The nomination process for the civic polls was conducted in late December, followed by scrutiny and withdrawals in early January. Final candidate lists and symbols were released earlier this month.