New Delhi: The BJP-led alliance surged past the majority mark in the high-stakes Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections on Friday, according to counting trends, dealing a major setback to the Thackeray cousins’ bid to retain control of India’s richest civic body.
As votes were counted for elections to 29 municipal corporations across Maharashtra, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) emerged as the single largest force in Mumbai’s civic polls, with its alliance gaining a clear and decisive edge.
BJP-Shinde Sena Alliance Dominates BMC
In the BMC, the BJP-led combine was ahead in 119 wards. The BJP was leading in 88 wards, while Chief Minister Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena faction was ahead in 31 wards, indicating a comfortable majority for the ruling alliance.
Thackeray Cousins Fall Short
In contrast, the combined performance of the Thackeray cousins appeared to fall short of expectations. Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena (UBT) was leading in 64 wards, while Raj Thackeray’s Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) was ahead in six wards, taking their combined tally to 70.
Despite efforts at political consolidation, the duo struggled to match the momentum built by the BJP-led alliance.
BMC Stakes High Due to Financial Power
The BMC election has drawn intense attention due to the civic body’s enormous political and financial significance. With an annual budget exceeding Rs 74,400 crore, control of the BMC has long been considered a prized political asset in Maharashtra.
The polls were held after a prolonged delay of nearly nine years, further heightening their importance.
BJP-Led Alliance Leads Across Maharashtra
Beyond Mumbai, trends across Maharashtra also tilted strongly in favour of the BJP-led alliance. Across the 29 municipal corporations, the BJP was leading in 909 wards, while its ally, the Shinde-led Shiv Sena, was ahead in 237 wards, reinforcing the ruling coalition’s dominance in urban local bodies.
Pune Becomes Key Battleground
Pune emerged as another closely watched contest, where rival factions of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) — led by Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and his uncle, Rajya Sabha MP Sharad Pawar — joined hands for the civic polls. The outcome is being seen as a crucial test of the alliance’s grassroots strength.
Large-Scale Electoral Exercise
Polling for 2,869 seats across 893 wards in the 29 civic bodies was held on Thursday. Around 3.48 crore voters were eligible to cast their ballots, determining the fate of 15,931 candidates, including nearly 1,700 in Mumbai alone.
The final results are expected to significantly reshape Maharashtra’s urban political landscape and influence future political alignments in the state.
