Nagpur: Polling for the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) General Elections 2025–26 concluded peacefully on Thursday evening, with nearly 51 per cent voter turnout recorded across the city. Voting began at 7:30 am and officially ended at 5:30 pm, though electors already inside polling stations were allowed to cast their votes even after the scheduled time.
The election process remained largely smooth, barring minor technical glitches in a few Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs). As many as 58 control units and 79 ballot units were immediately replaced due to technical issues. Overall, the polling passed off calmly, with active participation from senior citizens, youth, women, and persons with disabilities, reflecting strong civic engagement in the democratic process.
Under the directions of the State Election Commission, polling was conducted across 3,004 polling stations in 38 wards of Nagpur city for the election of 151 corporators through a multi-member ward system. Voters in Wards 1 to 37 elected four members each, while Ward 38 elected three members. The electoral fate of 993 candidates, including 408 women candidates, has now been sealed in EVMs. For secure transportation, polling materials were moved to strong rooms using 504 city buses of the municipal transport service.
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13 Jan 2026
Marking their participation in the democratic exercise, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis voted along with his family, as did Union Minister Nitin Gadkari. Divisional Commissioner Vijayalakshmi Bidari, Chief Election Observer Dr Madhavi Khode-Chaware, Municipal Commissioner and Election Officer Dr Abhijit Chaudhari, and District Collector Dr Vipin Itankar also exercised their franchise with their families.
To encourage women voters, one Pink Polling Booth and one Model Polling Station were set up in each zone. All staff at Pink Booths were women, and the centres were decorated with pink balloons. Model polling stations offered enhanced facilities for voters.
The digital facilities introduced by the Nagpur Municipal Corporation saw extensive use, with over 5.5 lakh citizens accessing online services to locate their polling stations. The NMC Smart Mitra platform alone was used by more than 18,500 voters, significantly easing the process of finding polling centres.
For maintaining law and order, 261 polling stations were identified as sensitive. These centres were monitored through live webcasting from a central control room set up at the NMC headquarters. In addition, Nagpur Police deployed drones in every zone to keep aerial surveillance during polling.
Special arrangements were made for senior citizens and voters with disabilities in compliance with High Court directives. Transport facilities from residences to polling stations, wheelchairs, volunteers from the National Service Scheme, and even ambulance services for ailing voters were provided. These measures ensured inclusive and accessible voting across the city.
To address duplicate voter registrations detected in some cases, affected voters were allowed to cast their vote after submitting a sworn affidavit.
The State Election Commission had appointed Dr Madhavi Khode-Chaware as the Chief Election Observer, with Santosh Thite serving as Election Observer. Senior municipal officials closely monitored arrangements throughout the day to ensure smooth conduct of the polls.
With polling completed, all eyes are now on the counting day, when the political future of Nagpur’s civic body will be decided.
