BJP-Sena vs Thackerays fight dominates Maharashtra civic polls, results today
The stakes are high, with ideological lines blurring amid unlikely alliances across the state. All eyes will be on the results of the BMC and 28 other municipal corporations. Will the Thackeray reunion click in Mumbai? Will the Pawars joining hands in their Pune citadel boost their prospects? Find out.
Will the Thackeray reunion click in Mumbai? Will the Pawar family reunion in their Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad strongholds boost their prospects? The answers will be declared later today as counting began for the 29 municipal corporations across Maharashtra.
Besides Mumbai and Pune, results will be declared at 4 pm for Thane, Navi Mumbai, Kalyan-Dombivli, Pimpri-Chinchwad, Nagpur, Nashik, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Solapur, Kolhapur, and Amravati, among others. The stakes are high; ideological lines have blurred with unique local-level alliances.
NO UDDHAV 'RAJ' IN MUMBAI: EXIT POLLS
Multiple exit polls, including Axis My India, have predicted a clear sweep for the BJP–Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde) alliance, projecting they will easily cross the majority mark of 114 in the 227-seat BMC.
- Axis My India: Projects 131–151 seats for the Mahayuti (BJP-Sena).
- JVC forecast: Puts the Mahayuti at 138 seats.
- Opposition: The Shiv Sena (UBT)–MNS–NCP (SP) combine is projected to secure between 58–68 seats (Axis) and 59 seats (JVC).
This election marked the historic reunion of cousins Uddhav and Raj Thackeray after two decades. However, exit polls suggest the "Marathi Pride" campaign may not have overcome the Mahayuti's momentum. The Congress, after initially considering a solo run, formed a last-minute alliance with the Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) and is expected to win 12–25 seats.
OUTSIDE MUMBAI
Thane & Kalyan-Dombivli: In Thane, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde’s home turf, the Shiv Sena-BJP alliance is expected to dominate. Exit polls suggest the Shinde-led Sena could bag 72 seats with the BJP taking 26.
The challenge: The Uddhav-led Sena (UBT), MNS, and NCP (Sharad Pawar) joined hands here to challenge Shinde.
KDMC: In Kalyan-Dombivli, the Mahayuti already secured a head start with 6 candidates (4 Sena, 2 BJP) winning unopposed before polling day.
The Pawar reunion in Pune & Pimpri-Chinchwad: The alliance picture shifts dramatically in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad. In a major twist, Ajit Pawar and Sharad Pawar’s factions set aside state-level differences to form a "reunion" alliance to protect their home citadel from a BJP surge.
NCP reunion: In Pune, the combined NCP forces are putting up a united front, though they still face a stiff challenge from the BJP, which exit polls suggest could remain the single largest party with ~70–80 seats.
Pimpri-Chinchwad: Ajit Pawar’s faction has taken the lead here with 110 candidates, supported by the Sharad Pawar group’s 18 candidates in the 128-member body.
Fragmented Alliances Interestingly, the "Mahayuti" and "MVA" labels were applied inconsistently. For instance, in Pune, the BJP and Shinde's Shiv Sena contested largely solo after seat-sharing talks failed, while the Congress joined hands with the Thackeray-MNS alliance to try and dent the Pawars' influence.
THE FINAL TEST
All eyes will be on the results of Asia’s richest civic body, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), and 28 other municipal corporations.
Today’s results are a litmus test for these experimental alliances, specifically the Thackeray-Thackeray and Pawar-Pawar reunions.
With the Assembly elections exactly three years away, these civic results will determine which side holds the narrative for the future of Maharashtra.