Nashik: Polling is underway in three municipal corporations of Bhiwandi, Malegaon, and Panvel in Maharashtra on Wednesday.


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A total of 1,251 candidates are in the fray in the three civic bodies for 252 seats to be elected by 12.96 lakh eligible voters.


The results will be declared on May 26.


The BJP has fielded 189 candidates, NCP-90, Congress-152 and Shiv Sena-144 across the three civic bodies. Also, 355 Independents are trying their luck.


The Bahujan Samaj Party has put up 22 candidates, Janata Dal (United) four, and Janata Dal (Secular) 10 in the three civic bodies.


Of the 18 municipal corporations in Maharashtra which completed their five-year term this year, the elections to 10 bodies were held in February, while Latur, Parbhani and Chandrapur went to polls last month.


Malegaon Municipal Corporation Elections


The Nationalist Congress Party-AIMIM alliance is in power in the Malegaon civic body in Nashik.


The AIMIM has fielded 37 candidates in Malegaon.


In a first in Maharashtra elections, drones have been deployed as the eye in the sky to monitor the Malegaon Municipal Corporation elections. As per Police Commissioner Rakesh Ola, police have hired four private drones to cover important and congested areas in the city with a population of around 700,000 on polling day today.


Malegaon, a Muslim-dominated city in Nashik district, around 280 km north-east of Mumbai, was rocked by two terror attacks in 2006 and 2008 and is listed among the 'sensitive' cities in the state.


Muslims comprise over 75 percent of Malegaon's population and elections are to be held for 83 of the 84 wards. One Congress candidate has been declared elected unopposed.


Panvel Municipal Corporation Elections


This is the first election of the Panvel City Municipal Corporation (PCMC) in Raigad district after it came into existence in October last year.


The MNS has put up 25 candidates in Panvel.


Bhiwandi-Nizampur City Municipal Corporation Elections


The Bhiwandi-Nizampur City Municipal Corporation in Thane district is ruled by the Congress-led alliance. The AIMIM has fielded nine candidates, while the MNS has put up seven in Bhiwandi.