Mahayuti Surges Ahead in Maharashtra Civic Polls
BJP-led alliance dominates municipal councils; Opposition trails in semi-urban, rural belts
- Mahayuti leads in majority of 246 municipal councils, 42 nagar panchayats
- BJP ahead in 133 local bodies; allies Shiv Sena, NCP also strong
- Congress, Sena (UBT) and NCP (SP) lag behind
- Results seen as key signal ahead of BMC elections
GG News Bureau
Mumbai, 21st Dec: The BJP-led Mahayuti alliance has taken a commanding lead in elections to 246 municipal councils and 42 nagar panchayats across Maharashtra, according to trends available around 11 am on Saturday.
As per early trends, the Bharatiya Janata Party is leading in 133 local bodies, while its allies — Shiv Sena and the Nationalist Congress Party — are ahead in 46 and 34 local bodies, respectively.
The Opposition has lagged behind, with the Indian National Congress leading in 29 municipal bodies. The Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) is leading in six, while the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar) is ahead in eight.
Held after nearly a decade, the civic polls are being closely watched as a key indicator of political dominance in Maharashtra’s semi-urban and rural regions. The results come barely a year after the Mahayuti’s emphatic victory in the 2024 Assembly elections, reinforcing the ruling alliance’s grip on grassroots politics.
The outcome is particularly significant given the backdrop of agrarian distress, partial disbursal of the state government’s flagship welfare schemes for women, and persistent complaints from farmers over inadequate financial assistance. The Opposition was expected to mount a strong challenge, but its campaign appeared disjointed and lacked coordination.
While Congress leaders campaigned actively in Vidarbha and Marathwada, leaders of Shiv Sena (UBT) were largely absent from the ground campaign, and NCP (Sharad Pawar) leaders remained confined to their respective constituencies. In contrast, the ruling Mahayuti went all out, with Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and the two Deputy Chief Ministers spearheading campaigns for their parties and reaching even remote areas.
The run-up to the polls was also marked by visible friction within the Mahayuti, with several Sena ministers skipping a cabinet meeting and publicly accusing the BJP of adopting “bullying” tactics. In one of his speeches, Shinde indirectly reminded the BJP of the need to adhere to ‘alliance dharma’.
The local body election results are being seen as politically crucial ahead of the high-stakes Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation elections scheduled next month, which are expected to be a major test of strength for both the ruling alliance and the fractured Opposition.
