Nagpur: The final day of filing nominations for the Nagpur Municipal Corporation elections unfolded in trademark dramatic fashion on Tuesday, as a flood of aspirants descended on zonal offices, turning routine civic spaces into scenes of urgency, anxiety and political theatre.
Although the NMC had opened nomination distribution and acceptance on December 23, the process gathered real momentum only on the last day, a familiar pattern in civic polls. The numbers told the story clearly: while just 225 nomination forms were submitted till Monday, the count shot up sharply on Tuesday, taking the total to 1,457 candidates by the close of the deadline.
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The nomination window opened at 11 am and was scheduled to shut at 3 pm, but long before the deadline, queues spilled out of offices and into corridors. As the final minutes ticked away, the orderly rush turned chaotic. At exactly 3 pm, gates of all zonal offices were closed simultaneously. Only those who had managed to enter before the deadline were allowed to complete the process. Latecomers, some clutching incomplete documents, were left pleading at the barricades, their appeals falling on deaf ears.
Outside the offices, the atmosphere was no less charged. Supporters, party workers, relatives and curious onlookers crowded the entrances, eager to track political moves ward by ward. Some candidates arrived with drum beats, banners and small processions to signal strength, while first-time contenders slipped in quietly, visibly nervous, files held tightly under their arms.
Zone-wise, Ashi Nagar recorded the highest number of nominations at 190, followed closely by Mangalwari with 185 and Gandhibagh with 148. Lakadganj saw 151 forms, Satranjipura and Dharampeth reported 137 each, Hanuman Nagar 134, Dhantoli 128, and Laxmi Nagar registered 77 nominations.
Political moments played out across zones. At Dharampeth, Congress candidate Abhijeet Jha arrived accompanied by his mother and sister, pausing to offer prayers before submitting his papers. Former BJP corporator Parineeti Fukey, who is not contesting this election, visited the zone office only to support party colleagues. In Laxmi Nagar, senior Congress leader and MPCC general secretary Praful Gudadhe escorted his wife Kumudini, who filed her nomination after the seat was reserved for an SC woman candidate.
Given the charged environment, police deployment was substantial at all zones to manage crowds and avoid clashes between rival groups. Inside the offices, returning officers and clerical staff worked under intense pressure as paperwork piled up. The delayed distribution of party ‘B’ forms further complicated matters, forcing many candidates to shuttle between offices for signatures, seals and last-minute corrections.
“We were prepared for the last-day rush and made elaborate arrangements. Returning officers were instructed not to reject forms over minor technical issues,” Municipal Commissioner and Chief Election Officer Abhijeet Chaudhari said.
Even after the gates shut, activity continued late into the evening. Affidavits, caste validity certificates and no-dues documents were scrutinised, while a handful of disappointed aspirants outside continued to argue, unwilling to accept that the clock had finally run out.
While the final list of valid candidates will emerge only after scrutiny, Tuesday’s scenes once again reaffirmed a political reality in Nagpur: when it comes to elections, the real action almost always waits till the last minute.
