Maharashtra Politics: After MVA, Rift Within Ruling Mahayuti Ahead Of BMC Polls? All You Need To Know About The Changing Political Scenario

Mumbai: The political scenario in Maharashtra is changing rapidly every single day ahead of the BMC election. The richest civic body in the country, are likely to be held in January 2026. After a rift within the Maha Vikas Aghadi, there are also several reports coming in showing signs of a crack within the ruling Mahayuti government in the state. The Mahayuti coalition, comprises of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde faction), and the Nationalist Congress Party (Ajit Pawar group), while the opposition Mahavikas Aghadi, which includes the Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT), and NCP (Sharad Pawar group).

In the latest scenario, following Nawab Mallik's appointment as the Chairperson of the Mumbai Municipal Election Management Committee by the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), the BJP Minister Ashish Shelar criticised the decision and said that alliance with the Pawar faction will not be formed in Mumbai if Mallik will lead the NCP in Mumbai for the polls. "Nawab Malik cannot be our supportive candidate," Shelar said.

Shelar's statement came just days after a court on November 18 framed charges against former Maharashtra minister Nawab Malik in a money laundering case linked to the activities of the Dawood Ibrahim gang, paving the way for the trial to start. It alleged that Malik, in connivance with Dawood gang members Haseena Parkar, Salim Patel, and Sardar Khan, had participated in laundering of illegally usurped property located in Goawala Compound in suburban Kurla. Mallik, who was arrested in February 2022, was granted bail by the SC in 2025 on medical grounds. After his bail, in August 2025, he was appointed as the Chairperson of the Mumbai Municipal Election Management Committee by the Ajit Pawar-led NCP.

Shinde's Sena Skip Cabinet Meeting

Another example of a possible rift within the Mahayuti comes after Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) ministers staged a dramatic boycott of Tuesday’s, November 18, cabinet meeting. After this, Deputy CM Shinde rushed to Delhi and met Union Home Minister Amit Shah about the growing unease within the alliance. In addition to this, the meeting was also attended by BJP National President J. P. Nadda.

Citing sources, PTI reported that the meeting, which lasted nearly an hour, focused primarily on seat-sharing frictions and the escalating poaching of leaders ahead of the upcoming local body elections. This was not the first time when Shinde voiced concerns over alliance dynamics. In the past two months, Shinde had travelled to Delhi several times and had also met PM Modi thrice over political and organisational issues linked to Maharashtra.

The Changing Political Scenario Within MVA

Ahead of the BMC polls, the Congress announced on November 15 that the party will prepare for all 227 seats and will contest for the local body polls independently. “Hoisting the victorious flag over the Mumbai Municipal Corporation is the Congress party's goal, the corrupt administration of the ruling Mahayuti in BMC," Varsha Gaikwad had said.

The Congress' stand to go solo came amid the possibility of Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray and his cousin, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) leader Raj Thackeray, joining hands for the civic elections. Reports by PTI stated that a section of the Congress party opposed to including Raj Thackeray in any alliance because of his strong stance against North Indian migrants.

Samajwadi Party To Contest Solo In Mumbai

The Samajwadi Party (SP) State President Abu Azmi, on Wednesday, November 19, slammed the Congress and said that it will contest the upcoming local body elections in Mumbai on its own. He added that his party would field candidates in 150 out of 227 seats in the BMC elections.

Slamming the Congress, Azmi alleged that in any alliances, the Congress positions itself as the dominant party. Adding further, he also claimed that in the past, Congress had broken alliance just before the final seat-sharing decisions.

Uddhav Thackeray Says 'Congress free to take its decision to go solo'

A day after Congress and MVA ally announced that it is planning a solo contest in the Mumbai civic body polls, Sena UBT Chief Uddhav Thackeray said that Congress can take its decisions independently, and so does his party. While speaking to reporters, he said, "The Congress is an independent party, and so is mine. The Congress is free to take its decision, and my party is also free to do so."

(With inputs from agencies)