New Delhi, Jan. 14 -- Maharashtra will go to the polls on Thursday, with civic elections being held in Mumbai, Pune, and 27other urban local bodies across the state. In view of the elections, the Maharashtra State Election Commission has declared January 15 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 January 16. 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 around 25,000 police personnel and senior officials deployed to ensure...