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Mumbai: Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray on Thursday, January 15, visited Siddhivinayak Temple in Dadar to seek blessing of Ganpati Bappa on the polling day. The polling for the high-stakes Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections began at 7.30 am today, January 15, marking the end of nearly four years without an elected civic body in Mumbai.
Taking to X, Thackeray wrote, “Ganpati Bappa Morya! Today, bowing at the feet of Shri Siddhivinayak, I received his gracious blessings.”
गणपती बाप्पा मोरया!
आज श्री सिद्धिविनायकाच्या चरणी नतमस्तक होऊन, कृपाशीर्वाद घेतले. pic.twitter.com/ex9FNi0sLh
— Aaditya Thackeray (@AUThackeray) January 15, 2026
While addressing the media after visiting the temple, Thackeray said, “With elections underway, we always seek God’s blessings before any work…At the same time, Uddhav Saheb, Raj Saheb, and all of us are raising concerns as people report on social media that their names are missing from voter lists and there is confusion due to irregularities in the process.”
VIDEO | BMC Election 2026: Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray (@AUThackeray) says, “We offered prayers at Siddhivinayak Temple, praying that we can serve the city well. With elections underway, we always seek God’s blessings before any work…At the same time, Uddhav Saheb,… pic.twitter.com/dhuzfrzmhK
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) January 15, 2026
Earlier in the day, Shiv Sena UBT chief Uddhav Thackeray and leader Aaditya Thackeray, along with their family members, visited polling booth 44 at Kala Nagar, Sahvas Society, in Bandra East to cast their votes at a polling station in Mumbai for the BMC elections. In the 2026 BMC Polls, the Sena (UBT) has fielded 163 seats, while the MNS is contesting from 52 seats.
#WATCH | Mumbai | Shiv Sena UBT chief Uddhav Thackeray and leader Aaditya Thackeray show their inked fingers after casting their votes at a polling station in Mumbai for the BMC elections. pic.twitter.com/qe9UQ0e2Rp
— ANI (@ANI) January 15, 2026
However, after casting their vote, Uddhav Thackeray raised serious questions about the functioning of the election machinery. “It should be revealed how the Election Commissioner is paid. Mumbai municipal elections are being held after a nine-year gap. What were the Election Commissioner and his staff doing all these years? Action should be taken against them,” he said.
Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray, along with his family, also cast his vote at Balmohan Vidya Mandir School in Dadar’s Shivaji Park area. He alleged that the State Election Commission is using a “new pen”, due to which the markings on the voter’s fingers are disappearing.
Mumbai | MNS chief Raj Thackeray says, “The ink that was used before is being replaced with a new pen, and there are complaints about this new pen. If you use a hand sanitizer, the ink disappears. Now, the only option left is to apply the ink, go outside, wipe it off, and then go… https://t.co/yRi4YIjryr pic.twitter.com/4P7ECMNify
— ANI (@ANI) January 15, 2026
Voting began at 7:30 am today, with people queuing at their respective polling booths. A total of 1,700 candidates are set to contest the polls in Mumbai. A total of 1,03,44,315 citizens are eligible to vote in the BMC polls. Of these, 55,16,707 are men, 48,26,509 are women, and the number of other voters is 1,099. Apart from Mumbai, Municipal elections for over 28 other corporations are being held across Maharashtra, with counting of votes scheduled for Friday, January 16.
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