Maharashtra’s municipal corporation elections have delivered a sweeping mandate for the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance, signalling a major reshaping of the state’s urban political landscape. The verdict, which saw the BJP making historic gains in key civic bodies including the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), also sent a clear message to the Thackeray and Pawar factions, challenging their traditional urban strongholds. Here’s a closer look at what the results mean for some of the state’s most influential political figures.
Devendra Fadnavis, 55 — Maharashtra Chief Minister
The BJP’s overwhelming victory across Maharashtra’s municipal bodies, particularly in Mumbai where it ended the Thackeray dominance in the BMC after 25 years, is a strong political triumph for Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. Long seen as a regional leader from Nagpur, Fadnavis has now emerged as a pan-Maharashtra figure, perhaps the first to achieve such stature after Sharad Pawar.
Fadnavis had a turbulent journey since the formation of the MVA government in 2019. His political acumen became evident when he orchestrated a split in Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena and Sharad Pawar’s Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), navigating complex political waters that temporarily sidelined him. In 2022, after the Shiv Sena split, Fadnavis even agreed to serve as Eknath Shinde’s deputy despite BJP having more seats, displaying strategic patience.
The BJP’s strong showing in the 2024 Assembly elections set the stage for his return as Chief Minister, and in these civic polls, Fadnavis led the campaign from the front. Countering Thackeray’s nativist rhetoric with a pro-development message and welfare schemes, he ensured that BJP not only retained its voter base but also expanded it significantly. These results also signal to allies like the NCP (Ajit Pawar faction) and Shinde Sena that Fadnavis is firmly in control and increasingly the dominant voice in Maharashtra politics.
Eknath Shinde, 61 — Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister
Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde faced his biggest political setback in Mumbai. The Shiv Sena (Shinde faction), which had been positioning itself as the true heir to Balasaheb Thackeray’s legacy since 2022, managed to win only 29 of the 90 seats it contested in the BMC.
While the party had performed strongly in semi-urban municipal councils and Nagar Panchayats in December, winning 1,025 seats in alliance with the BJP, urban Maharashtra proved more challenging. Since the 2024 Assembly elections, Shinde has sought to assert himself as a mass leader in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region. He tried to expand his influence in Thane, Navi Mumbai, Kalyan-Dombivli, Ulhasnagar, and Mira-Bhayandar, sometimes contesting against the BJP and attempting to attract disgruntled leaders from the Shiv Sena (UBT).
Despite these efforts, his gains remained limited outside his home turf of Thane, while his party now maintains a presence in 13 municipal corporations. Moving forward, Shinde may attempt to consolidate power by wooing Shiv Sena (UBT) corporators, but Fadnavis’s decisive win in the civic elections underscores that Shinde must tread carefully in his relationship with the BJP and his ambitions for greater influence.
Ajit Pawar, 66 — Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister
For Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, the results are concerning. The NCP failed to perform well in six municipal corporations in western Maharashtra, its traditional bastion. Even in Ahilyanagar (formerly Ahmednagar), where the NCP contested in alliance with the BJP, the party did not achieve a majority on its own.
In Pimpri-Chinchwad, the NCP broke from the Mahayuti and allied with the NCP-SP, but the strategy had little effect. Despite attempting to project himself as an independent voice and repeatedly criticizing the BJP, Pawar’s influence in urban areas of western Maharashtra—especially Pune—was clearly weakened.
There has been speculation about a potential reunification of the two NCP factions, which may gain momentum after this result. Pawar’s immediate political focus will likely shift to the upcoming district council (zilla parishad) polls, which could help restore some of his political stature if he successfully negotiates a merger and maintains his alliance with the BJP.
Uddhav Thackeray, 65 — Shiv Sena (UBT) Chief
Uddhav Thackeray faced the harshest blow from the civic poll results. Despite mounting a sharply focused campaign in Mumbai, which relied heavily on the party’s grassroots network and nativist messaging, the Shiv Sena lost control of the BMC for the first time in 25 years—a critical source of both political influence and party funding.
Thackeray had even partnered with his estranged cousin Raj Thackeray to try and shore up support, but demographic shifts in Mumbai and the BJP’s well-orchestrated campaign proved decisive. While the Shiv Sena retained much of its core Marathi voter base, the party now faces the challenge of staying relevant in an urban landscape that is increasingly fragmented and contested.
Thackeray’s own term as a Member of the Legislative Council ends this May, and it remains to be seen whether he will return to the state’s upper house or guide the party from Matoshree. In the short term, his priority will likely be to stem possible defections and prevent further erosion of his party’s urban base.
Implications for Maharashtra Politics
The Maharashtra civic poll verdict has far-reaching implications:
- BJP’s consolidation: The party has not only strengthened its control over urban governance but also demonstrated Devendra Fadnavis’s emergence as a statewide leader capable of challenging long-entrenched regional dynasties.
- Shinde’s recalibration: Eknath Shinde will need to balance his ambitions against the BJP’s dominance while seeking opportunities to consolidate his faction.
- Pawar’s urban challenge: Ajit Pawar’s influence in urban strongholds is weakened, forcing him to focus on rural governance and potential party reunification strategies.
- Thackeray’s existential test: Uddhav Thackeray faces a critical juncture in reimagining his party’s urban strategy and retaining relevance in Mumbai politics amid demographic shifts and the collapse of the MVA alliance.
In short, the civic poll results have redefined Maharashtra’s political landscape. While the BJP celebrates a historic victory, regional leaders such as Shinde, Pawar, and Thackeray are faced with pressing questions about strategy, alliances, and survival in an increasingly competitive urban environment.
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