The BJP-led Maha Yuti secured a sweeping victory in Maharashtra’s civic polls, overpowering opposition alliances and reshaping urban political equations
Mumbai
The reunion of Thackeray cousins Uddhav Thackeray and Raj Thackeray failed to stem the BJP-led Maha Yuti’s sweeping victory in Maharashtra’s municipal corporation elections, with the saffron party delivering a decisive blow in key urban centres, including Mumbai. The Bharatiya Janata Party emerged as the single largest party in the BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), ending decades of Thackeray family dominance and paving the way for its first-ever Mayor in India’s richest civic body, with support from ally Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena.
Despite a joint push by Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray and MNS president Raj Thackeray, the BJP, led by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, maintained a firm grip on Mumbai. The only consolation for the Thackerays was the relatively weak performance of Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, whose party slipped to third place in the BMC. However, Fadnavis also succeeded in asserting dominance over his other deputy, Ajit Pawar, as the BJP outperformed both factions of the NCP even in their traditional strongholds like Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad.
The results offered little relief to the Congress and the I.N.D.I.A. bloc, extending their post-2024 Assembly election slump. In Mumbai’s 227 wards, the BJP won or led in 90 seats, followed by Shiv Sena (UBT) with 57, Congress with 15, and smaller tallies for other parties. Across Maharashtra, the BJP posted commanding wins in Nagpur, Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad, while AIMIM expanded its footprint in several cities.
Points to Ponder
1. Breaking nearly three decades of Shiv Sena dominance, the BJP emerged as the single largest party in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections
2. The BJP-led alliance is set to win around 125 of 227 seats in the BMC, Asia’s richest civic body, with a 2025-26 budget of Rs 74,427 crore.
3. Counting for elections to Mumbai and 28 other municipal corporations, including Pune, was held on Friday, following a 54.77% voter turnout.
