India, Dec. 16 -- With the announcement of civic polls in 29 cities, including Mumbai, the battle for urban Maharashtra has begun between the ruling Mahayuti and the opposition parties. A lot is at stake as the parties clash for control of 29 municipal corporations, though the most significant battle is for the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), which governs India's financial capital.

The January 15 polls would indicate which party or coalition dominates urban Maharashtra, which, according to the 2011 census, accounted for 45.2% of the state's population. A large chunk of the state's industries and commercial activities were in these cities, especially in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region and the Pune-Nashik region. As such, the con...