Mumbai: Riding on the momentum of its Assembly election victory, the ruling Mahayuti has delivered a commanding performance in the municipal council and nagar panchayat elections in Maharashtra, with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) emerging as the single-largest party by a wide margin.
Counting Across 288 Urban Local Bodies Shows Clear Mahayuti Edge
Counting of votes for elections to 242 municipal councils and 46 nagar panchayats — held in two phases on December 2 and December 20 — began on Sunday, December 21. Early trends and results indicated a decisive mandate in favour of the Mahayuti, comprising the BJP, the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena and the Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP).
According to trends, the BJP has taken a clear lead in 129 of the 288 urban local bodies, far ahead of its alliance partners Shiv Sena, which is leading in 58, and the NCP in 37. Collectively, the Mahayuti is ahead in 212 municipal councils and nagar panchayats. In contrast, the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) has suffered a major setback, managing leads in only 53 local bodies — Congress in 36, Shiv Sena (UBT) in nine and Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP) in eight.
The results underline BJP’s position as the “big brother” within the Mahayuti alliance. Of the 288 urban local bodies, Mahayuti candidates have successfully secured the directly elected posts of municipal presidents in 213 councils. The BJP alone has won 129 municipal president posts, followed by Shiv Sena with 58 and the NCP with 37.
Vidarbha Records Strong BJP Surge, MVA Shut Out
In Vidarbha, which has 100 municipal councils, the BJP registered a strong performance by winning 58 municipal president posts. The Congress followed with 23 victories, while Shiv Sena won eight, the NCP seven and others four. Notably, Shiv Sena (UBT) and Sharad Pawar’s NCP (SP) failed to win a single municipal president post across Vidarbha.
In Marathwada, out of 52 municipal councils, the BJP emerged on top with 25 wins. Shiv Sena won eight, the NCP six, Congress four, Shiv Sena (UBT) four and NCP (SP) two, while others won in three councils.
In North Maharashtra, the BJP secured the highest number of Council presidents in 18 of the 49 councils. Shiv Sena won 11, NCP seven, Congress five, Shiv Sena (UBT) two and NCP (SP) one, while others emerged victorious in five councils.
In Western Maharashtra, among 60 municipal councils, the BJP again led with 19 council president posts. Shiv Sena and NCP won 14 each, Congress secured three, Shiv Sena (UBT) one and NCP (SP) three, while local fronts and independents won in six councils.
Konkan Region Witnesses Strong Shiv Sena Performance
In the Konkan region, Shiv Sena performed strongly, winning 10 of the 27 municipal councils. The BJP followed with nine wins, Shiv Sena (UBT) secured two, both factions of the NCP won one each, while local alliances and independents won in four councils.
The BJP’s dominance was further reflected in the councillor tally. Of the more than 6,200 councillor posts contested across the state, the BJP won a record 3,325 seats. This marks a sharp rise compared to around 1,600 councillors the party had secured in similar elections held in 2017 and thereafter.
The Shiv Sena won 695 councillor seats, while the Ajit Pawar-led NCP secured 311. The Congress managed to elect over 1,300 councillors, Shiv Sena (UBT) won 378, and the Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP) secured 153 seats. Local fronts and independent candidates together won around 140 councillor posts.
Comparison with Previous Municipal President Count
The latest results indicate a significant reshaping of the urban political landscape:
BJP: 94 earlier → 129 now
Shiv Sena: 36 earlier → 58 now
Congress: 51 earlier → 31 now
NCP (Ajit Pawar): 29 earlier → 37 now
Shiv Sena (UBT): 0 earlier → 9 now
NCP (Sharad Pawar): 0 earlier → 10 now
Others/Local Fronts: 50 earlier → 25 now
Urban Verdict Reshapes Maharashtra Political Landscape
Despite contesting the elections through a mix of alliances and solo fights in different local bodies, the Mahayuti has managed to secure what is being described as an unexpected yet emphatic mandate. The results consolidate the BJP’s growing dominance in urban local governance and significantly weaken the opposition MVA ahead of the upcoming civic corporation elections, including major municipal corporations.
With the BJP expanding its footprint and the Mahayuti maintaining cohesion despite friendly contests, the results are expected to have a major bearing on Maharashtra’s political dynamics in the months ahead.
To get details on exclusive and budget-friendly property deals in Mumbai & surrounding regions, do visit: https://budgetproperties.in/
