NAGPUR: Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis kickstarted the final day of campaigning for the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) elections on Tuesday with a high-octane roadshow across the city, riding a Royal Enfield. The bike rally drew huge crowds, with supporters cheering, waving flags, and shouting slogans, creating an atmosphere of frenetic excitement.It began around 12.15pm, and also saw the presence of various state leaders as the BJP intensified its outreach ahead of the Jan 15 polling.
The roadshow covered key city landmarks, including Bharat Mata Chowk, Teen Nal Chowk, Shaheed Chowk, Tanga Stand Chowk, Gandhi Statue, Pandit Bachharaj Chowk, Mahal Chowk, and the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Statue at Mahal. CM Fadnavis, who has focused his campaign firmly on Nagpur in recent days, has been connecting with voters through programmes such as “Tarri Poha with Devabhau.” Earlier, Union Minister Gadkari interacted with voters under the “Chana Poha with Nitinji” initiative. Tuesday marks the last day for candidates and parties to reach voters, as the 48-hour campaign silence period will begin after 5.30pm. Municipal commissioner and Chief election officer Abhijeet Chaudhari said the city’s election machinery was fully prepared for polling, which will be held from 7.30 am to 5.30 pm on Thursday, with counting beginning at 10 am on Jan 16. Results are expected from around 12.30 pm. A total of 993 candidates are contesting for 151 corporator seats across 38 NMC wards. Since Jan 3, the city witnessed intense electioneering, with public meetings, rallies, and padyatras dominating the landscape. Political heavyweights from the BJP, Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT), NCP, AAP, MNS, and independent candidates actively campaigned across wards. The BJP led the campaign calendar with senior leaders addressing public gatherings, while Congress countered with rallies led by Vijay Wadettiwar, Nana Patole, Vikas Thakre, and MLC Abhijeet Wanjari. NCP leader Praful Patel also addressed meetings in select wards. Mohalla meetings were held by all parties over the past 10 days, with both the BJP and Congress claiming significant public support. Authorities have maintained strict enforcement of the Model Code of Conduct. So far, nearly Rs 42 lakh worth of cash, liquor, and narcotics has been seized in attempts to influence voters. Surveillance teams also confiscated weapons from suspected violations. Polling will be conducted at 3,004 stations, with webcasting at 255 booths to ensure transparency. Unlike recent Assembly elections, doorstep voting for senior citizens above 85 years and bedridden voters will not be available this time. Voters can locate their polling stations through the NMC website under the ‘Voter Path’ section using their name, EPIC number, or ward details.
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