PANVEL: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Wednesday opened its account in the Panvel Municipal Corporation (PMC) elections even before polling, with its candidate Nitin Jayaram Patil declared elected unopposed in ward No. 18B after officials scrutinised all nominations.
There was only one other contender from the ward—Rohan Gawand from the Peasants and Workers Party (PWP), which is backed by the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance. However, election officials rejected his candidature under the Other Backward Classes category over alleged deficiencies in the documentation of his caste certificate. With no other valid contender left, election officials declared Patil elected as per the rules, handing the BJP an early and symbolic lead in the 78-seat civic body.
The development came amid an unusually crowded contest. Election officials said around 400 nomination papers were filed, including 371 on the final day, underscoring intense last-minute mobilisation. Kalamboli topped the list with 77 nominations, followed by Navade (76) and Kamothe (60), signalling multi-cornered fights across key urban wards.
Panvel MLA Prashant Thakur said Patil’s unopposed victory reflected public confidence in the Mahayuti alliance and its development agenda. “This result is a moment of pride for Panvel. The victory of Nitin Bhai Patil reflects the trust people have placed in the Mahayuti alliance,” he said, crediting booth-level workers for the outcome.
Opposition leaders did not wish to comment on the result, but said the MVA would focus its campaign on civic issues across the remaining wards.
BJP leans on experience
With nominations complete, the BJP-led Mahayuti’s slate reflects a clear bet on experience and organisational depth. Party lists show about 46 of the 78 seats have gone to former corporators or their relatives, while several candidates who narrowly lost in 2017 have been renominated. In ward 16, former winners Santosh Shetty, Sameer Thakur, Rajashree Vavekar and former mayor Dr Kavita Chautamol have been fielded again.
Seat-sharing was finalised ahead of the deadline, with the BJP contesting 71 seats and its partners—the Shiv Sena, Nationalist Congress Party, and Republican Party of India (Athawale)—contesting four, two and one seat, respectively.
On the opposition side, the MVA also locked its seat-sharing pact before nominations closed: PWP (33), Shiv Sena (UBT) (19), Congress (12), NCP (SP) (7), Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (2), and one seat each for the Samajwadi Party and the Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi.
While the BJP is entering the campaign with momentum after securing one seat without a vote, the MVA is banking on a consolidated challenge in a traditionally saffron civic body.
Balaram Patil, leading the opposition campaign in Panvel, said the election would turn on local governance. “Unresolved issues—property tax, road conditions, water supply and traffic—are at the centre of this election. Voters will judge accountability at the municipal level,” he said.
The Panvel Municipal Corporation, established in 2016, last held elections in 2017. After the elected body’s term ended in July 2022, the civic body has been under an administrator, making the 2026 election the first in nearly nine years. Panvel governs 29 revenue villages and has 554,578 registered voters.