MUMBAI: The Bharatiya Janata Party-led Mahayuti alliance has completed its dominance over Maharashtra’s urban political landscape with a resounding victory in the civic body elections, most notably wresting control of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) from the Thackeray family after nearly three decades. Trends from the January 15 polls indicate that the Mahayuti is set to form governments in 25 of the state’s 29 municipal corporations, marking one of the most comprehensive saffron sweeps in Maharashtra’s municipal history.

The BMC, India’s richest civic body with an annual budget running into tens of thousands of crores, has long been the crown jewel of Mumbai politics. For almost 30 years, it remained firmly under the control of the undivided Shiv Sena and later the Uddhav Thackeray-led faction. That era appears to have decisively ended, as the BJP and the Shiv Sena led by deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde surged ahead in the counting, overcoming a brief challenge mounted by the opposition.

According to trends available late Friday evening for 225 of the total 227 BMC seats, the BJP was leading in 88 wards, followed by Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray faction) in 64 seats, Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena in 29, the Congress in 24, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) in nine, AIMIM in eight, and smaller parties including the NCP securing the remaining seats. With the BJP and Shinde-led Sena together comfortably crossing the majority mark, the Mahayuti is poised to take charge of Mumbai’s civic administration.

The State Election Commission is expected to formally announce the final results later on Friday night, news agency PTI reported.

The outcome in Mumbai mirrors a broader pattern seen across Maharashtra, where the BJP-led alliance has outperformed its rivals in most major urban centres. From Thane to Pune, Pimpri-Chinchwad to smaller municipal corporations, the Mahayuti has either secured a clear majority or emerged as the single largest bloc, leaving the opposition fractured and struggling for relevance.

In Mumbai, the contest was watched closely as a test of political realignments following the split in the Shiv Sena and the Nationalist Congress Party. Despite the high-profile reunion between cousins Uddhav Thackeray and Raj Thackeray, and the Shiv Sena (UBT) entering into a pre-poll understanding with the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena, the opposition failed to stop the BJP-led juggernaut.

Initially, as counting began, the Mahayuti looked set for an overwhelming majority. The Shiv Sena (UBT) briefly narrowed the gap, raising speculation of a tighter contest, but the BJP-Shinde Sena alliance soon regained momentum, consolidating its leads across key wards.

Political observers attribute the opposition’s damp showing to several factors, chief among them being deep internal rifts within the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), the lack of a cohesive urban strategy, and the proliferation of multi-cornered contests. While the BJP fought the elections in a clear alliance with Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena, the opposition space was crowded and divided.

At the state level, the MVA comprises the Shiv Sena (UBT), the Congress, and the Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP). However, in the civic polls, seat-sharing arrangements varied from city to city, often confusing voters and weakening the alliance’s impact. In Mumbai, the Congress chose to tie up with the Prakash Ambedkar-led Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) and the Rashtriya Samaj Paksh (RSP), while the Sena (UBT) and MNS contested together. These overlapping alliances resulted in vote splits that ultimately benefited the BJP-led combine.

Elsewhere in the state, the story was similar. In Thane, a traditional Shiv Sena stronghold, trends indicated that Eknath Shinde’s Sena was leading in 55 seats, while the BJP was ahead in 25. The BJP and Shinde faction fought together, while the opposition saw the Shiv Sena (UBT), MNS, and the Sharad Pawar faction of the NCP coming together, with the Congress, Ajit Pawar’s NCP, and the VBA contesting separately. The fragmented opposition proved no match for the cohesive Mahayuti campaign.

In Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad, the BJP registered a massive lead, reinforcing its dominance in urban Maharashtra. The much-publicised political reunions of the Pawars and the Thackerays failed to translate into electoral gains, with opposition parties struggling to secure even double-digit seat counts in Pune. Trends showed the BJP leading in over 80 seats across the two municipal corporations, underlining the party’s strong organisational machinery and appeal among urban voters.

Another notable feature of the civic polls was the impressive performance of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), led by Asaduddin Owaisi. The party made significant inroads in Muslim-dominated wards, emerging as a key player in several municipal corporations. According to television reports around 8 pm, AIMIM was leading in 94 wards across the state.

The party posted strong numbers in cities such as Sambhajinagar, where it led in 33 seats, Amravati with 15 seats, Malegaon with 20, Nanded Waghala with 14, Dhule with 10, and Jalna with two. AIMIM’s rise has come largely at the expense of the Congress, which is facing an erosion of its traditional urban support base. In Mumbai, the Congress’s relatively modest tally in the BMC has raised serious questions about its future relevance in the state’s municipal politics.

For the BJP, the civic poll results consolidate its position as the dominant political force in Maharashtra, particularly in urban areas. Control over municipal corporations gives the party and its allies not only administrative authority but also access to grassroots networks, resources, and visibility that could prove crucial in future assembly and parliamentary elections.

The capture of the BMC is especially symbolic. Beyond its massive budget, the corporation controls key aspects of Mumbai’s infrastructure, including roads, public health, water supply, and urban development. For decades, the BMC served as the financial and organisational backbone of the Shiv Sena. Losing it represents not just an electoral defeat for the Thackeray camp, but a structural blow to its political influence.

As celebrations broke out in Mahayuti camps across the state, opposition leaders acknowledged the need for introspection. Analysts say the results underscore the BJP’s success in projecting stability, development, and organisational strength, while the opposition struggled to present a unified alternative.

With the Mahayuti set to rule 25 of Maharashtra’s 29 municipal corporations, the civic poll verdict signals a decisive shift in the state’s political balance. For now, Maharashtra’s urban centres appear firmly under the BJP’s saffron banner, setting the tone for the battles to come in state and national politics.