On the Western Railway in Mumbai, one of the railway infrastructure projects that has been progressing for the longest amount of time has now reached a significant stage. It has been confirmed by the Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS) that the sixth railway line that connects Kandivali and Borivali has been finished and put into operation. By obtaining this license, Western Railway is able to move closer to introducing more local train services on the Churchgate-Borivali and Churchgate-Virar routes, which are both extremely busy. On one of the city’s most congested routes, officials from the railway industry have stated that this new development will assist in alleviating congestion and improving timeliness.
Borivali to Virar. Current stations, including Dahisar, Bhayandar, Naigaon, and Virar, will relocate the positions of their slow line platforms to make room for the new lines in this 26-kilometer segment. The platforms of Dahisar will travel to the north, while those of Bhayander will move to the west, and Virar will move a little bit to the south.
Two new lines will be constructed on the western side of the existing major lines over the full distance from Borivali to Virar. The construction comprises three primary bridges, 16 secondary bridges, one road underpass, and two significant bridges, specifically Bridge No. 73 and 75 spanning the Vasai Creek (Bhayandar Khadi). Construction of the foundations for Bridge 73 has commenced, and an ancient bridge in proximity to Bhayandar is undergoing dismantling.
Areas such as Dahisar to Mira Road have experienced considerable advancement in the clearing of forest land and earthworks owing to prompt approvals. Segments such as Borivali to Dahisar, Mira Road to Bhayandar, and Nalasopara to Virar possess existing minimizing the necessity for additional land acquisition and costly excavation. New stabling lines will be constructed between Naigaon and Vasai to offset repurposed lines in other areas.
Work depending on location
Panju Island: Due to the absence of direct road access to Panju Island, special preparations are being made to carry construction machinery and materials to the island. These arrangements include the use of a dedicated ferry.
Borivali Station: No major renovations are planned for Borivali Station. For the duration of the project, the two new lines will remain in the western portion of the existing corridor. The project will begin at Platforms No. 3 and 5 at Borivali. Since the majority of the property between Borivali and Dahisar is railway land with traction sub-stations, quarters, and stabling (train parking) lines, there has not been a lot of land acquisition done between the two areas. The new lines will travel in the direction of Dahisar over the Sudhir Phadke flyover, which is located right in front of the Borivali station.
Dahisar Station: At Dahisar station, the two new lines will travel in the western direction, close to Platform No. 1 that is already in place. The two new slow line platforms will be consolidated and shifted a little bit to the north because there is not enough space at the station where they are currently located. From the Metro 2A bridge all the way up to the Mira Road station, the construction work has progressed to a more advanced stage. is due to the fact that the forest land that is necessary for the project has already been obtained, and work has begun on the ground. Additionally, three stabling lines that are being relocated from Borivali will be installed along this section of road that connects Dahisar and Mira Road.
Mira Road Station: Existing Platform No. 1 will be replaced by new platforms that will be located to the west of Mira Road.
Bhayandar Station: The platform that is now utilized for ending and originating trains at Bhayandar will be relocated to the western side of the station. Existing Platform No. 1 will be left in its current configuration, and Platform No. 2, which is now being utilized for terminating trains, will be transformed into the new slow platform for Churchgate-bound trains. The subsequent Virar fast platform will be Platform No. 3, which holds the distinction of being the terminal platform. At some point in the future, the slow Platform No. 4 will be transformed into the Churchgate fast platform.
Naigaon station: New platforms are going to be introduced in the western region, according to Naigaon. Between Naigaon and Vasai, there will also be twenty stabling lines that are going to be constructed.
Vasai Station: Major renovations are going to be carried out at Vasai. Following the relocation of the existing structures, 1 that is now in place will be moved to the west by about 8 meters. That it serves as a terminal platform will continue to be its primary function. The new platforms will be constructed at the north end of the west side of the present Platform No. Platform No. 2-3, which is already in existence, will be utilized for the fast line corridor.
Nallasopara Station: A new residential platform located to the west of the existing Platform No. 1 is known as Nallasopara. An island platform will be created out of the currently existent Platform No. 1.
Virar Station: Two more platforms are going to be constructed at the south end of the station, which will result in the station’s expansion even further.
Here are the essential details about the project:
The station will have interconnected platforms with a new, bigger, and updated station deck to improve passenger flow.
A proposed elevated autorickshaw deck, similar to the SATIS (Station Area Traffic Improvement Scheme) project, will segregate commuter and vehicular traffic while allowing cars to pass through.
A new “Home Platform 5A” (5-6 meters wide) is being built on the northwest side, while current platforms 3A and 4A are being expanded to accommodate 15-car suburban trains.
Platform 3A will be expanded to 10 meters and equipped with a double-discharge facility to accommodate high commuter volumes.
Upgrades for 15-car locals on the Dahanu corridor are planned to be completed by early 2026 (March 2026 target).
Due to construction, some Virar services have been curtailed, with certain Dadar-Virar trains ending at Vasai Road.
The project, which is about 47% complete as of February 2026, intends to minimize the terrible overcrowding and disruption that passengers face during peak hours, particularly by separating suburban and long-distance.
When will the people of Vasai-Virar choose their mayor? The date is set: there are six famous fields. Who will be the winner?
The people of Vasai-Virar Municipal Corporation chose Ajiv Patil to be their mayor. Hitendra Thakur will say whose name it is.
Who will be the next Vasai-Virar Municipal Corporation Mayor? There has been a lot of disagreement in politics about this issue. It is clear what the head of the Bahujan Vikas Aghadi (BVA), Hitendra Thakur, thinks about this.
Now that the state’s municipal corporation elections are over, all eyes are on the Vasai-Virar City Municipal Corporation race for mayor. The election for mayor will take place on January 30 and 31. Hitendra Thakur, leader of the Bahujan Vikas Aghadi (BVA), has chosen to be very careful this time to strengthen his hold on the municipal corporation after having a mixed experience in the assembly elections.
Virar: The Bahujan Vikas Aghadi (BVA) won by a huge margin in the elections for the Vasai-Virar local corporation. MLA Milind Narvekar congratulated Hitendra Thakur of Bahujan Vikas Aghadi and his older brother Bhai Thakur after this victory. Meet Hitendra Thakur of the Bahujan Vikas Aghadi (BVA) at the Vasai Virar Municipal Corporation. Milind Narvekar is close to Uddhav Thackeray and they talked. He also said nice things about Thakur and his party’s work. The BJP and the Bahujan Vikas Aghadi were in a straight fight in the Vasai Virar Municipal Corporation.
The BJP put all of its power into the votes for the Vasai Virar Municipal Corporation. The Bahujan Vikas Aghadi flag was raised again by Hitendra Thakur on the Vasai Virar Municipal Corporation, though. They got 71 of the 115 seats, giving them a majority. The BJP got 43 seats. His show is getting lots of attention around the world.
In the municipal council, Hitendra Thakur has done well. Thakur was praised by Narvekar for his success. He also told the members of the Bahujan Vikas Aghadi and their families that he thought the best of them. The Thackeray group’s MLA, Milind Narvekar, met Hitendra Thakur’s family and praised his work. He also thanked the Bahujan Vikas Aghadi.
Update on Vasai-Virar Mayor 2026
There are six people running for mayor of Vasai-Virar Municipal Corporation right now. But Ajiv Patil’s name is said to be at the top of the list as the party’s troubleshooter and planner. In Vasai-Virar politics, Hitendra Thakur always uses “social engineering” to make sure that everyone, no matter their religion or group, gets what they deserve. The big task for Thakur now is to keep his power in the municipal corporation while also addressing all the social issues that came up during the assembly elections. So, just who is Thakur? The desire to know has hit its peak.
There are six people running for mayor.
Aajiv Patil is a former head of the standing committee and a party strategist.
Praveen Shetty is a former mayor who has been involved in crime before.
Prakash Rodrigues is a former deputy mayor and a major figure in the Catholic belt.
Kanhaiya Bhoir Group that speaks for the local Agari people
Alamgir Dyer: Muslim leaders with a lot of experience
Afif Jameel Sheikh: A young, fresh face
What’s with the name Aajiv Patil going around?
The Bahujan Vikas Aghadi (BVA) kept its power in the most recent elections for local corporations. And in this case, the party needs a tough spokesperson like Ajiv Patil to stand up to the aggressive BJP in the city. Patil is the organizing secretary for the party, so he will play a key role in getting more people to join the corporators.
At the same time, on January 22, 2026, he was fired from his job as Mayor of the Municipal Corporation. For the general category (open), the job of mayor of Vasai-Virar Municipal Corporation has been set aside. Now, any Baviya councillor with a lot of knowledge can have a chance to become mayor. Bawiya has always stood up for all groups, including Christians, Muslims, Agri people, and North Indians. If Ajiv Patil is elected mayor, Prakash Rodrigues (Christian) or Alamgir Dyer (Muslim) could be chosen for the position of deputy mayor. In order to keep the balance of social planning.
Who is going to sign?
Besides this, Shekhar Dhuri’s name is also being talked about. He has been in politics for 40 to 45 years and has held many important positions, from sarpanch to corporator. People in Vasai-Virar are waiting for Hitendra Thakur, the leader of the Bahujan Vikas Aghadi (BVA), to sign because the list of names of many experienced and important leaders is long. What the Mayor does will affect more than just the job; it will also affect how politics are run in the city in the future.
Who is going to sign?
Besides this, Shekhar Dhuri’s name is also being talked about. He has been in politics for 40 to 45 years and has held many important positions, from sarpanch to corporator. People in Vasai-Virar are waiting for Hitendra Thakur, the leader of the Bahujan Vikas Aghadi (BVA), to sign because the list of names of many experienced and important leaders is long. What the Mayor does will affect more than just the job; it will also affect how politics are run in the city in the future.
A strike by city workers makes the city less clean.
Vasai-Virar sanitation workers go on strike because they haven’t been paid yet, and a change in contractors stops city cleaning services. The garbage workers went on strike on Tuesday, which has made it harder to keep things clean every day. There are garbage piles in many parts of the city.
A stop-work strike by 400 to 500 VVCMC sanitation workers in Vasai called for PF, gratuity, and fair pay as they got used to a new labor contractor. Cleaning services have been hampered because workers are demanding that their rights be respected before they can go back to work.
Many sanitation workers from the Vasai-Virar City Municipal Corporation (VVCMC) went on a “stop-work” strike in Vasai on Tuesday to protest not getting their long-standing requests met. Four hundred to five hundred sanitation workers were involved in the protest, which stopped cleaning in some places.
Sanitation workers from Vasai Virar Municipal Corporation (VVMC) went on strike in Vasai on Tuesday to get what they want. Three hundred to five hundred cleaning workers have taken part. A new deal has been made by the company in place of the old one. But he said that the needs of the workers who have been there for a long time should be met.
For the past few years, the Vasai Virar Municipal Corporation has hired thousands of people to do cleaning work on a contract basis. They are sweeping the streets, picking up and throwing away trash every day, spraying medicines, and cleaning out ditches. But these workers are having a hard time because the municipality doesn’t provide them with the right tools. Even though complaining to the officials several times, nothing is being done about it.
The company has now ended the contract of the previous contractor they hired on January 20. A new contractor has been hired for five years, from 2025тАУ26 to 2030тАУ31. Because of this, the city corporation told the earlier contractors to stop their work.
However, since this order, the people who clean the city every day have started a violent movement. The workers got together in the Sainath Nagar area of Vasai West on Tuesday to protest. We’ve worked together for a long time. People say that the municipality tried to be unfair to the safai karamcharis by changing the contract, since we haven’t gotten any other perks like the provident fund or the gratuity yet.
“We don’t have a problem with the new contractor, but when will we get the benefits that our workers are getting?” asked Gitesh Gharat, a toilet cleaner.
Set off for Strike
The protest started because the Municipal Corporation chose to hire a new labor agency instead of the old one. There has been a change in contractors, but the workers, many of whom have been with the city for years, argue that their rights and benefits must be protected first.
The VVCMC hires thousands of temporary sanitation workers to do important jobs like cleaning the streets and picking up trash every day. Taking trash to places where it can be dumped.
Putting down pesticides and cleaning gutters
Even though they are doing these important jobs, workers say they don’t have basic tools and have been having problems for a long time. They say that the Corporation has ignored their complaints over and over again.
There was a fight over new contracts.
With effect from January 20, the former contractor’s term ended, and a new one was hired for five years, from 2025тАУ26 to 2030тАУ31. As a result, the Corporation told the former employees to stop working the way they were.
The workers were angry about this order, and on Tuesday they met in the Sainath Nagar area of Vasai West to say what they thought. The workers make it clear that they are not against the new contractor, but rather the idea that they might lose the perks they have earned over time.
Statement from Workers
During the protest, sanitation worker Gitesh Gharat asked a number of important questions about the workers’ well-being. Workers are asking that their Provident Fund (PF) and Gratuity be paid right away, since they say they haven’t been paid in years. One of the main demands is “Equal Pay for Equal Work.” Some people were worried about former workers who retired or died without getting the money they were owed.
“The Corporation should have taken the workers into confidence and addressed these pending issues before finalizing the new contract,” said the workers who were protesting.
People are worried about how clean the city is now that daily trash collection is still messed up because of the strike. At this point, the workers have said that they won’t go back to work until they are given specific guarantees about their social security and unpaid bills.
The┬аSupreme Court of India┬аhad mandated that Maharashtra conduct local body electionsтАФincluding for Zila Parishads, Panchayat Samitis, and municipal corporationsтАФby┬аJanuary 31, 2026. This came after significant delays due to litigation over OBC reservation and delimitation issues. The court emphasized that elections must proceed irrespective of ongoing delimitation, giving a one-time extension only.
According to official records, the election process unfolded in phases:
Municipal council┬аand┬аNagar Panchayat elections┬аwere held between┬аDecember 2 and December 15, 2025.
Elections for┬а29 Municipal Corporations┬аtook place on┬аJanuary 15, 2026, with results counted on┬аJanuary 16.
2. Key Results & Political Outcomes
2.1. Overall Results
The┬аBJP-led Maha Yuti alliance┬аachieved a sweeping victory across the state, securing majorities in┬а25 of the 29 municipal corporations. They won approximately┬а1,425 seats┬аout of nearly 2,868 contested.
2.2. Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC)
In a historic shift, the alliance broke the decades-long dominance of the Thackeray-led Shiv Sena:
BJP: 89 seats
Shinde-led Shiv Sena: 29 seats
UBT Shiv Sena: 65 seats
MNS: 6 seats
Congress: 24 seats
AIMIM: 8 seats
NCP/SP/others: various small counts
The alliance crossed the majority mark with┬а118 seats out of 227, marking a major urban power shift.
2.3. Other Major Cities
Pune Municipal Corporation: BJP won 116 of 165 seats, far ahead of NCP (20) and Congress (15).
Navi Mumbai: BJP won 65 of 111 seats; Shiv Sena secured 43.
Nashik: BJP won 72 of 122 seats.
Nagpur: BJP emerged as the single largest party with 102 of 151 seats; Congress followed with 34.
2.4. AIMIM Gains
The┬аAll India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), led by Asaduddin Owaisi, made substantial gainsтАФwinning┬а126 seats┬аacross municipal corporations, up from just 56 previously. Their strongest performance was in┬аChhatrapati Sambhajinagar, where they secured┬а33 seats.
2.5. Unopposed Wins & Turnout
A notable┬а65тАУ68 candidates┬а(reports vary) were elected┬аunopposed, mostly from the BJP (43тАУ44), followed by Shiv Sena and NCP. The SEC is investigating the circumstances surrounding these uncontested victories.
Voter turnout┬аremained modest at┬а54тАУ55%, with urban centers like Mumbai, Pune, and Thane showing lower engagement. Analysts attributed this to urban apathy and administrative disconnect.
3. Political Reactions & Broader Implications
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis┬аdescribed the results as an “unprecedented endorsement” of the BJPтАУMaha Yuti alliance and credited development-focused governance and effective ground mobilization.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi┬аhailed the results as a deepening bond between the NDA and MaharashtraтАЩs electorate, praising the pro-people governance narrative.
The┬аSupreme CourtтАЩs earlier directive, the scale of unopposed wins, and the low turnout in metros continue to fuel debates about democratic participation and administrative transparency.
Summary Table
Category
Key Highlights
Legal Mandate
SC ordered elections by Jan 31, 2026; phased polls in Dec 2025тАУJan 2026
Overall Outcome
BJP-led alliance dominates 25/29 municipal corporations, wins ~1,425 seats
Mumbai (BMC)
BJP-Shinde alliance wins 118/227 seats; the Thackerays are ousted from dominance
Other Cities
BJP strong in Pune, Nashik, Nagpur, Navi Mumbai
AIMIM Performance
Gains to 126 seats; strong in Sambhajinagar and Vidarbha
Unopposed Wins
65тАУ68 candidates won unopposed, mostly from BJP; SEC investigating
Voter Turnout
Around 54тАУ55%, lower in urban centers
Political Impact
Boost for BJP narrative; questions on democratic engagement
As of the most recent count, which happened on January 16, 2026:
The Bahujan Vikas Aghadi (BVA): won 71 seats, keeping its long-term control over the area.
43 seats were won by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Even though they lost to the BVA, the BJP had its best showing in the civic body ever, picking up a lot more seats than in previous elections.
Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde group): Got one place.
Based on the final results, the Shiv Sena (UBT), Congress, and NCP did not get any seats that were important.
Important Points
Voter Turnout: About 57.12% of people who were eligible to vote did so in the election on Thursday, January 15, 2026.
In terms of politics, this win is seen as a big comeback for the Thakur family, since Hitendra Thakur and his son Kshitij Thakur both lost their assembly seats to the BJP in the 2024 elections.
Major Surprises: Even though the BVA won the election as a whole, Rupesh Jadhav and other top leaders and former mayors are said to have lost in their own wards.
Unopposed Win: Earlier in the election cycle, Pravina Thakur of the BVA was chosen from Ward 98 without a primary challenge because the BJP candidate who was running against her dropped out.
All 115 seats in all 29 wards were counted on Friday, January 16, 2026. This confirmed that the BVA has the power to choose the next mayor.
Party-wise tally across Maharashtra
The BJP-led Mahayuti alliance is maintaining a comfortable lead with an edge on over 1,400 seats across the 29 municipal corporations in Maharashtra. Here is a party-wise tally, according to TV reports at 2:30pm:
