The Maharashtra State Election Commission (SEC) is investigating reports of ruling party candidates winning unopposed in upcoming municipal corporation elections. The SEC wants to know if pressure, allurement, or coercion forced opponents to withdraw nominations. Elections for 29 municipal corporations are set for January 15, with vote counting on January 16. December 30 was the last day to file nominations. Five BJP and four Shiv Sena candidates in Kalyan Dombivli Municipal Corporation are unopposed. Similar unopposed BJP wins occurred in Pimpri Chinchwad, Jalgaon, and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar. "The SEC has decided to seek reports from civic authorities to check if there was use of coercive means, pressure or allurement to the opponent candidates to withdraw their nominations," an official said. "The SEC will not allow returning officers to announce unopposed winners until reports are submitted." Complaints have come from Congress, Janata Dal (S), and AAP candidates claiming they were unlawfully stopped from filing nominations in Mumbai's Colaba area. The SEC will review reports from the returning officers, municipal commissioners, and police commissioners after January 3, the last withdrawal date. Until then, no unopposed candidates will be officially declared winners. An official noted that unopposed wins in a multi-corner fight raise suspicion, and more complaints may surface. If misconduct is found, the SEC can act against returning officers, but cannot reopen nominations as deadlines have passed. The SEC has also asked the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) commissioner to investigate allegations involving Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar pressuring officials to block nominations. The commissioner was told to review CCTV footage and records from Ward A's returning officer. Narwekar denied the claims, saying, "every candidate who was present in the RO office before 5 p.m. on December 30 was given an opportunity to file the nominations." Reports from the commissions are awaited before final announcements. The polls will test the political ground in Maharashtra's key civic bodies.