Mumbai goes BJP's way, Thackeray reunion fails to stop Mahayuti's Maha sweep
The BJP-led Mahayuti alliance swept Maharashtra's civic polls, strengthening its dominance in urban centres and delivering a setback to opposition parties after major political realignments.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Mahayuti alliance delivered a sweeping verdict in the Maharashtra civic polls on Friday, tightening its grip across the state’s urban centres and dealing a major blow to rival formations, including the reunited Thackeray cousins, the Congress, and the Pawars. Results were declared in 2,833 of the 2,868 seats in the Maharashtra civic polls, with the BJP winning 1,400 seats, followed by the Shiv Sena with 397, the Congress with 324, the NCP with 160, and the Shiv Sena (UBT) with 153.
The elections, held after a long gap of several years, were widely seen as a test of political realignments following the split in the Shiv Sena and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), as well as a referendum on the BJP-led “double-engine” government at the Centre and in Maharashtra.
MAHAYUTI’S STATEWIDE EDGE
According to the latest consolidated tally from across Maharashtra, the BJP emerged as the single largest party statewide, winning 1,400 seats, far ahead of its rivals. The Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena secured 397 seats, strengthening the Mahayuti’s overall dominance.
In contrast, the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) finished with 153 seats, while the Ajit Pawar faction of the NCP managed 160. The Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP) won 31 seats, and the Congress secured 324 seats across civic bodies. Smaller parties and independents, including the MNS, VBA and others, together accounted for over 300 seats.
MUMBAI: END OF THACKERAY DOMINANCE
The spotlight remained firmly on Mumbai, where the BJP–Shiv Sena (Shinde) alliance crossed the majority mark in the 227-member Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), ending the Thackeray family’s decades-long hold over India’s richest civic body.
The final BMC results show that the BJP won 89 wards, surpassing its 2017 tally of 82 seats, while the Shinde-led Shiv Sena secured 29 wards. Together, the alliance crossed the majority mark of 114 seats, clearing the way for a BJP–Shiv Sena mayor after a long gap.
The Thackeray cousin reunion failed to yield dividends. The Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) managed to clinch victory on 72 wards, while Raj Thackeray’s Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) won just six wards. The Congress and its allies lagged far behind in the state capital, with the Congress winning 24 seats. Ajit Pawar's NCP managed to bag three seats while the Sharad Pawar faction won just one.
Reacting to the outcome, former Union minister Milind Deora said the BMC results had “put an end to the soap opera of Mumbai politics”, adding that the city had chosen “progress and accountability over melodrama”.
PUNE AND PIMPRI-CHINCHWAD
In Pune, long considered a bastion of the Pawar family, the BJP surged ahead, relegating both the Ajit Pawar-led NCP and the Sharad Pawar faction to the sidelines. The party emerged as the clear frontrunner in the Pune Municipal Corporation, while also registering a strong performance in Pimpri-Chinchwad, where it left the NCP far behind despite both parties contesting independently.
The outcome was seen as a significant setback for Ajit Pawar on his home turf and a boost for the BJP’s urban consolidation strategy.
CONGRESS POCKETS LATUR, MIXED RESULTS ELSEWHERE
Amid the Mahayuti sweep, the Congress found a major consolation prize in Latur, where it won a clear majority with 43 of the 70 seats, pushing the BJP to second place with 22 seats.
Elsewhere, the Congress recorded pockets of strength but failed to convert them into overall control in most corporations.
OTHER KEY CITIES AT A GLANCE
- Nagpur: The BJP-Sena alliance dominated with 103 of 151 seats, maintaining its traditional stronghold, while the Congress finished a distant second.
- Nashik: BJP emerged on top with 71 seats, comfortably ahead of rivals.
- Thane, the stronghold of Eknath Shinde, his Shiv Sena delivered a win for the Mahayuti by securing 75 of the 131 seats, while ally BJP won 28.
- Navi Mumbai: BJP swept 72 of 111 seats, leaving little space for opposition parties.
- Vasai-Virar and Malegaon saw strong showings by independents and smaller parties, reflecting local dynamics.
CAMPAIGN CONTRASTS AND ALLIANCE POLITICS
The elections highlighted stark contrasts in campaign intensity. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis addressed 37 meetings, while Deputy CM Eknath Shinde led an aggressive outreach with 54 engagements, including roadshows. Ajit Pawar held 25 meetings, while Uddhav and Raj Thackeray appeared together at just three joint rallies. The Congress did not hold any major statewide rallies.
Political observers said the Mahayuti’s coordinated campaign and clearer power structure contrasted with the opposition’s fragmented messaging and tactical alliances.
VOTER TURNOUT AND UNOPPOSED WINS
The State Election Commission said an overall voter turnout of 54.77 per cent was recorded across the 29 corporations. Ichalkaranji logged the highest turnout at 69.76 per cent, while Mira-Bhayandar saw the lowest at 48.64 per cent. Mumbai recorded a turnout of 52.94 per cent, slightly lower than in 2017.
The SEC also said 65 candidates across ten civic bodies were elected unopposed.
CONTROVERSIES AND NOTABLE RESULTS
Among the notable outcomes was the victory of Shrikant Pangarkar, an accused in the Gauri Lankesh murder case, who won as an Independent from Jalna’s Ward No. 13 by 2,621 votes. Pangarkar said his case was still under trial and that there was no conviction against him.
In Mumbai’s Kalina ward, Congress candidate Tulip Miranda won by a narrow margin of seven votes, prompting the BJP candidate to seek a recount.
BJP LEADERS REACT
Union minister Nitin Gadkari congratulated Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy CM Eknath Shinde, saying the verdict reflected people’s faith in development-oriented governance. He said the results would give fresh momentum to the Mahayuti government and strengthen Maharashtra’s growth trajectory under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership.
Fadnavis described the outcome as a “momentous victory”, crediting party workers and the BJP’s development plank for the public mandate.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Mahayuti alliance delivered a sweeping verdict in the Maharashtra civic polls on Friday, tightening its grip across the state’s urban centres and dealing a major blow to rival formations, including the reunited Thackeray cousins, the Congress, and the Pawars. Results were declared in 2,833 of the 2,868 seats in the Maharashtra civic polls, with the BJP winning 1,400 seats, followed by the Shiv Sena with 397, the Congress with 324, the NCP with 160, and the Shiv Sena (UBT) with 153.
The elections, held after a long gap of several years, were widely seen as a test of political realignments following the split in the Shiv Sena and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), as well as a referendum on the BJP-led “double-engine” government at the Centre and in Maharashtra.
MAHAYUTI’S STATEWIDE EDGE
According to the latest consolidated tally from across Maharashtra, the BJP emerged as the single largest party statewide, winning 1,400 seats, far ahead of its rivals. The Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena secured 397 seats, strengthening the Mahayuti’s overall dominance.
In contrast, the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) finished with 153 seats, while the Ajit Pawar faction of the NCP managed 160. The Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP) won 31 seats, and the Congress secured 324 seats across civic bodies. Smaller parties and independents, including the MNS, VBA and others, together accounted for over 300 seats.
MUMBAI: END OF THACKERAY DOMINANCE
The spotlight remained firmly on Mumbai, where the BJP–Shiv Sena (Shinde) alliance crossed the majority mark in the 227-member Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), ending the Thackeray family’s decades-long hold over India’s richest civic body.
The final BMC results show that the BJP won 89 wards, surpassing its 2017 tally of 82 seats, while the Shinde-led Shiv Sena secured 29 wards. Together, the alliance crossed the majority mark of 114 seats, clearing the way for a BJP–Shiv Sena mayor after a long gap.
The Thackeray cousin reunion failed to yield dividends. The Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) managed to clinch victory on 72 wards, while Raj Thackeray’s Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) won just six wards. The Congress and its allies lagged far behind in the state capital, with the Congress winning 24 seats. Ajit Pawar's NCP managed to bag three seats while the Sharad Pawar faction won just one.
Reacting to the outcome, former Union minister Milind Deora said the BMC results had “put an end to the soap opera of Mumbai politics”, adding that the city had chosen “progress and accountability over melodrama”.
PUNE AND PIMPRI-CHINCHWAD
In Pune, long considered a bastion of the Pawar family, the BJP surged ahead, relegating both the Ajit Pawar-led NCP and the Sharad Pawar faction to the sidelines. The party emerged as the clear frontrunner in the Pune Municipal Corporation, while also registering a strong performance in Pimpri-Chinchwad, where it left the NCP far behind despite both parties contesting independently.
The outcome was seen as a significant setback for Ajit Pawar on his home turf and a boost for the BJP’s urban consolidation strategy.
CONGRESS POCKETS LATUR, MIXED RESULTS ELSEWHERE
Amid the Mahayuti sweep, the Congress found a major consolation prize in Latur, where it won a clear majority with 43 of the 70 seats, pushing the BJP to second place with 22 seats.
Elsewhere, the Congress recorded pockets of strength but failed to convert them into overall control in most corporations.
OTHER KEY CITIES AT A GLANCE
- Nagpur: The BJP-Sena alliance dominated with 103 of 151 seats, maintaining its traditional stronghold, while the Congress finished a distant second.
- Nashik: BJP emerged on top with 71 seats, comfortably ahead of rivals.
- Thane, the stronghold of Eknath Shinde, his Shiv Sena delivered a win for the Mahayuti by securing 75 of the 131 seats, while ally BJP won 28.
- Navi Mumbai: BJP swept 72 of 111 seats, leaving little space for opposition parties.
- Vasai-Virar and Malegaon saw strong showings by independents and smaller parties, reflecting local dynamics.
CAMPAIGN CONTRASTS AND ALLIANCE POLITICS
The elections highlighted stark contrasts in campaign intensity. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis addressed 37 meetings, while Deputy CM Eknath Shinde led an aggressive outreach with 54 engagements, including roadshows. Ajit Pawar held 25 meetings, while Uddhav and Raj Thackeray appeared together at just three joint rallies. The Congress did not hold any major statewide rallies.
Political observers said the Mahayuti’s coordinated campaign and clearer power structure contrasted with the opposition’s fragmented messaging and tactical alliances.
VOTER TURNOUT AND UNOPPOSED WINS
The State Election Commission said an overall voter turnout of 54.77 per cent was recorded across the 29 corporations. Ichalkaranji logged the highest turnout at 69.76 per cent, while Mira-Bhayandar saw the lowest at 48.64 per cent. Mumbai recorded a turnout of 52.94 per cent, slightly lower than in 2017.
The SEC also said 65 candidates across ten civic bodies were elected unopposed.
CONTROVERSIES AND NOTABLE RESULTS
Among the notable outcomes was the victory of Shrikant Pangarkar, an accused in the Gauri Lankesh murder case, who won as an Independent from Jalna’s Ward No. 13 by 2,621 votes. Pangarkar said his case was still under trial and that there was no conviction against him.
In Mumbai’s Kalina ward, Congress candidate Tulip Miranda won by a narrow margin of seven votes, prompting the BJP candidate to seek a recount.
BJP LEADERS REACT
Union minister Nitin Gadkari congratulated Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy CM Eknath Shinde, saying the verdict reflected people’s faith in development-oriented governance. He said the results would give fresh momentum to the Mahayuti government and strengthen Maharashtra’s growth trajectory under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership.
Fadnavis described the outcome as a “momentous victory”, crediting party workers and the BJP’s development plank for the public mandate.