Holiday Tomorrow For Maharashtra Civic Body Polls: What’s Open & Shut? Will Alcohol Be Available?

Civic body polls will be held in Maharashtra on January 15. Twenty-nine municipal corporations are in the fray, including Mumbai, Pune, and Nagpur. A public holiday has been declared in these areas as voting is set to take place from 7:30 am to 5:30 pm. This means that several public services will remain closed on January 15. Residents are advised to complete any work in advance to avoid last-minute difficulties.

The main contest in the state will take place between the Mahayuti (the BJP and Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena) and the Shiv Sena UBT and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS). The National Congress Party and Congress are also in the fray. Elections are also being held for the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), with 227 seats up for grabs. The party that secures 114 seats will hold the majority in the BMC.

Due to the Maharashtra municipal polls, government offices will be shut. Banks and schools will also remain closed. Schools and other educational institutions will also remain shut, and many schools and colleges will be used as polling stations. When it comes to the BMC, government, semi-government offices, public sector units and banks within BMC limits will be closed.

A notification by the state’s General Administration, Industries and Labour departments states that the public holiday will apply across Mumbai, including the eastern and western suburbs of the city. “The government order also applies to voters registered in Mumbai but working outside the city, allowing them to vote," the release said. Citizens can report violations of the rule on the helpline number 91-22-31533187.

As far as stock exchanges go, the National Stock Exchange (NSE) and Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) will remain shut across the equity and derivatives segments. Trading in securities lending and borrowing (SLBs), interest rate derivatives and currency derivatives will also remain closed. Earlier, the exchange had said that trading would be open on January 15, with only a settlement holiday in place due to the civic polls. However, the latest notification said that January 15 will be a complete trading holiday.

The holiday will also be applicable to factories, hotels, malls, restaurants, shops, private companies, theatres, shopping centres, IT companies and other private establishments. If a full-day holiday cannot be given in case of essential services, employers must allow workers two to three hours to cast their vote. Teams have been formulated to ensure that private firms comply with the rules.

Polling stations will function from 7:30 am to 5:30 pm. Private offices may stay open due to the provision of essential services or policy, but many will be closed. Essential services such as hospitals, pharmacies and public transport like trains and buses typically operate during public holidays. However, residents can check their local public transport apps to confirm whether any timings are different for the public holiday.

No alcohol sales or services will be available tomorrow in any of the areas undergoing elections, as election dry day rules will be enforced statewide, including in Mumbai. During this period, all liquor shops, bars and establishments selling alcohol will remain closed. The ban on serving alcohol was enacted on January 13 and will remain in place till January 16. Residents are advised to plan non-alcoholic alternatives.

The local administration has warned that strict action will be taken against entities or individuals that violate dry day norms. The local administration has urged voters and business owners to comply with the rules during the election period. Security and monitoring have been increased in sensitive areas to prevent any mishaps before and during polling.

Residents need ID proofs like their Voter ID (EPIC), Aadhaar Card, PAN Card, passport or driving license to cast their vote. The counting of votes will take place on January 16, and trends are expected to start coming in from 8:00 am. People can check the live results on the Election Commission’s official website (mahasec.maharashtra.gov.in). Live updates will be available on the News18 website and TV channel.