Nagpur: The electoral field for the long-awaited Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) elections has finally taken shape, with 992 candidates left in the race after the conclusion of the withdrawal process on Friday, January 2. On the final day alone, 290 aspirants withdrew their nominations, taking the total number of withdrawals to 302, including 12 recorded a day earlier.
The civic polls, being held after a gap of nearly eight years, initially drew overwhelming interest. For 151 corporator seats across 38 prabhags, a total of 1,386 nomination forms were submitted. Following scrutiny, 80 nominations were rejected and 1,294 were found valid. With the withdrawal window now closed, the final list of contestants has been sealed, setting the stage for a keenly contested municipal battle.
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Zone-wise figures reveal that Lakadganj witnessed the highest number of withdrawals at 43, followed by Mangalwari (37), Satranjipura (35), Dhantoli and Nehru Nagar (33 each), Gandhibagh-Mahal (30), Hanuman Nagar (28), Ashi Nagar (27), Dharampeth (24) and Laxmi Nagar (12).
The large-scale pullouts have considerably thinned the field in several prabhags, sharpening contests and reducing the presence of Independent candidates. Political observers say this could limit vote fragmentation and intensify direct face-offs between major parties, even as candidates race against time to reach voters during the short campaign period.
Election officials confirmed that of the 1,294 valid nominations, 535 were filed by women candidates. Among the 80 rejected forms, 39 belonged to women. Importantly, no official nominee of either the BJP or the Congress was disqualified during scrutiny. Zone-wise data shows sharp contrasts, with Zone 9 having the highest number of candidates at 180, including 92 women, while Zone 1 recorded the lowest at 75 candidates, of whom 34 are women.
Adding to the political complexity of the election is the presence of several rebel candidates, particularly from the BJP. The NMC polls were overdue since March 2022, when the 2017 general body was dissolved. The BJP, which had controlled the civic body for three consecutive terms in 2007, 2012 and 2017, is now grappling with internal dissent that could reshape electoral outcomes.
Notably, senior BJP leader and six-time corporator Sunil Agrawal chose not to withdraw from the race. Dhiraj Chavan, reportedly close to Central Nagpur MLA Pravin Datke, is contesting against the party’s official candidate. Former corporator Sudhir Raut remains in the fray from Prabhag 18A, while Vinayak Dehankar, husband of former Mayor Archana Dehankar, is contesting as an Independent from Prabhag 17D. These rebel entries have triggered speculation that BJP’s vote base could be split, potentially benefiting rival parties.
For comparison, the 2017 NMC elections saw 1,135 candidates contesting 151 seats, with over 500 Independents in the fray. In 2012, 1,233 candidates competed for 145 seats. Against this backdrop, the current election stands out not just for the numbers involved, but for the intricate political dynamics shaped by rebels, Independents and shifting loyalties.
With the candidate list finalised, all major parties have stepped up their campaign efforts, mindful that the compressed campaign schedule leaves little margin for missteps. While withdrawals have streamlined contests in several wards, the decisive phase of the election has now moved to the ground, where intense campaigning and voter outreach will determine the final verdict.
