Maharashtra civic polls: 65 candidates in ten civic bodies declared elected unopposed, says SEC

A total of 65 candidates from ten municipal corporations in Maharashtra were declared elected unopposed ahead of elections held on January 15, the State Election Commission (SEC) said on Friday.

The data was shared on a day when the counting of votes for 29 civic bodies, which went to polls on Thursday, was underway.

The BJP topped the list of unopposed candidates with 43, followed by ally Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena (18 candidates), the Nationalist Congress Party (2), an Independent, and a candidate of the Indian Secular Largest Assembly of Maharashtra.

At 20, the highest number of candidates were elected unopposed from Kalyan-Dombivali in Thane district, including 16 of the BJP and six of the Shiv Sena.

Two candidates of the BJP won without contesting the polls in each Pimpri Chinchwad and Pune, and six from Bhiwandi Nizampur in Thane district.

In Panvel, seven candidates declared elected unopposed, including six from the BJP and an Independent.

In Jalgaon, 12 candidates were elected without contesting, including six each from the Shiv Sena and the BJP.

In Dhule, all four unopposed candidates were from the BJP. While in Thane, all six corporators are from Shiv Sena. While in Ahilyanagar, three candidates were from the BJP and two from the NCP.

State Election Commissioner Dinesh Waghmare had said reports have been sought from municipal commissioners regarding cases in which candidates of the ruling coalition were declared elected unopposed in Maharashtra.

However, the SEC break-up of the uncontested victories is silent on this aspect.