New Delhi, Jan. 14 -- Maharashtra will go to the polls on Thursday, with civic elections being held in Mumbai, Pune, and 27 other urban local bodies across the state. In view of the elections, the Maharashtra State Election Commission has declared 15 January a public holiday in areas where voting will take place.

Polling for 2,869 seats spread across 893 wards will begin at 7.30 am and conclude at 5.30 PM. The counting of votes is scheduled for 16 January. Civic polls will be held across several cities in Maharashtra, including Mumbai, Pune, Thane, Navi Mumbai, Bhiwandi-Nizampur, Ulhasnagar, Jalgaon and Dhule.

Security has been stepped up for the civic elections, with approximately 25,000 police personnel and senior officials deployed t...