India, Nov. 19 -- The final day for filing nominations for municipal council and nagar panchayat elections across Maharashtra saw a surge in family-linked candidates, with several senior leaders from the ruling alliance fielding their relatives for key posts. This comes even as chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar have, in the past few days, repeatedly said that local body polls belong to party workers and that they would be given priority.

The growing list of family nominees, however, undercuts those assurances and has revived questions over dynasty politics at the grassroots.

Local body elections in the state will be held in three rounds starting December 2.

In Jalgaon, Sadhana Mahajan, wife of cabine...