In the aftermath of the BJP’s commanding performance in the Maharashtra local body elections, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has asked party leaders to exercise restraint and avoid sharp attacks on allies within the Mahayuti alliance. According to NDTV, the message was conveyed during a late night core committee meeting held at the Chief Minister’s official residence, where the party reviewed both its successes and shortcomings.
Despite the BJP emerging as the single largest force in the civic polls, Fadnavis is said to have flagged defeats in several municipal councils and nagar panchayats, including in districts represented by BJP legislators. The Chief Minister reportedly told leaders that the party must aim for stronger performance in civic elections, especially at the grassroots level.
Warning Against Public Spats With Allies
According to NDTV, Fadnavis issued a clear warning against public criticism of allies, including Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena and Ajit Pawar’s Nationalist Congress Party. He advised leaders to maintain discipline even if seat sharing arrangements fail to materialise during upcoming civic polls.
The directive comes after a tense run up to the local body elections, during which seat sharing talks within the NDA camp repeatedly stalled. Several constituencies witnessed so called friendly contests, with alliance partners pitted against each other, leading to sharp exchanges on the ground.
Mahayuti Dominates Local Body Results
The Mahayuti alliance of the Bharatiya Janata Party, Shiv Sena and NCP swept elections to 288 municipal councils and nagar panchayats across the state. Together, the allies secured 207 president posts, while the opposition alliance of Congress, Shiv Sena UBT and NCP SP was restricted to just 44.
The BJP won 117 president posts, followed by the Sena with 53 and the NCP with 37. In the opposition camp, Congress emerged as the best performer with 28 posts, though it fell far short of challenging the ruling alliance’s dominance.
Shinde’s Sena Emerges Stronger
A key takeaway from the results has been the performance of the Shinde led Shiv Sena. This was the first major election since the Sena split in which the party directly contested against the BJP in several seats. Despite being the junior partner in the Mahayuti, the Sena posted a higher strike rate than the BJP.
The party also expanded beyond its traditional strongholds in the Konkan region and the Thane belt, making notable inroads into rural and semi urban Maharashtra. Celebrating the outcome, Shinde said critics who claimed the Sena was confined to Thane had received their answer, asserting that the party had reached from Chanda to Banda across the state.
Stakes Rise Ahead Of BMC Election
Thanking voters for their support, Fadnavis described the local body poll results as a trailer of what lies ahead in the upcoming municipal corporation elections. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation election is scheduled for January 15, with results to be declared the following day.
The last BMC polls were held in 2017, when the undivided Shiv Sena emerged as the single largest party. This time, the two Sena factions will face off in a high stakes prestige battle. Shinde’s strong showing is expected to bolster his bargaining position with the BJP during seat sharing talks, while the opposition faces an uphill task in recovering from successive electoral setbacks.
