By Dr. Gyan Pathak
Setbacks to the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), which is the political alliance of INDIA bloc in Maharashtra, in the local body elections in the state have clearly served a stern warning to the opposition that they must exert more unitedly if they want to perform better in the forthcoming Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections scheduled next month. Though the BJP has emerged as the largest party in the Maharashtra Nagar Panchayat and Nagar Parishad elections, it has also a lesson from the results on account of impressive gain of Mahayuti allies Shiv Sena (Shinde) and NCP (Ajit Pawar), which has made them ever stronger. The result of the local bodies is thus likely to cast a shadow on the BMC elections scheduled to be held on 15 January, 2026. BMC election is important for financial survival of the political parties there, since Mumbai is the financial capital of India.
Just before the election results of local bodies were out, one of the MVA ally Congress had announced on December 20, that it would contest the upcoming BMC election alone. A congress leader Ramesh Chennithala had confirmed it and said, “We are all ready for the BMC elections. … Congress has taken a decision to contest the elections alone.” However, the result of the Maharashtra Nagar Panchayat and Nagar Parishad election one day later, has provided an occasion, for not only the Congress, but other allies in the MVA – Shiv Sena (UBT), and NCP (SP) to think over it again before their going alone for the BMC election.
There had been another political development in the meantime in MVA. Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray and his cousin Raj Thackeray who is also supremo of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) have come together forgetting their bitter rivalry. For Thackeray brothers, BMC election will be an opportunity to assert their political relevance in Mumbai once again, after their split in 2022.
However, there is also MVA, that suffered a major setback, both in the 2024 Vidhan Sabha election and now in the local body election. Thackeray brothers have not officially announced their alliance. Congress has announced to go alone. MVA therefore is not in a good shape ahead of BMC election, where there are 29 municipal corporations, 32 zila parishads and 336 panchayats.
The result of the local body election announced by the Maharashtra State Election Commission shows that out of 286 seats went to polls for the Maharashtra Nagar Panchayat and Nagar Parishad MVA could win only 44. Congress won 28 seats, NCP(SP) won 7 and Shiv Sena (UBT) won only 9 seats. It shows that all allies within MVA have performed poorly, and if they disunite at this point of time, they will perhaps face a rout in the forthcoming BMC election. Though the Congress has won largest number of seats compared to its allies, its decision to go alone is ominous, not only for the Congress but also for the Shiv Sena (UBT) and NCP (SP).
As for the Mahayuti, it has won 207 seats out of 286 in the local body election. It is an impressive gain, that has been repeated by the ruling alliance after 2024 Vidhan Sabah election. Out of the 207 seats – BJP has won 117, Shiv Sena (Shinde) has won 53, and NCP (Ajit Pawar has won 37 seats. Though the BJP has clearly emerged as the largest political party, its allies combined have also won 90 seats, making them stronger. This is going to considerably increase the bargaining power of Shiv Sena (Shinde) and NCP (Ajit Pawar) in terms of seat sharing arrangement within Mahayuti for BMC election. BJP though emerged the largest party it will not be able to dominated its allies. BJP will have to soften for its own sake and for the sake of the Mahayuti.
Even though Union Ministers Amit Shah and Nitin Gadkari hailed the Mahayuti alliance’s victory and congratulated the alliance leaders of Maharashtra. Shah wrote on X, “Thanks to the people of the state for giving overwhelming support to the Mahayuti in the Maharashtra Nagar Panchayat and Nagar Parishad elections. This victory is the people’s blessings on the vision of the welfare of every section under the central and state governments of the NDA led by Modiji. On this victory, I extend my best wishes to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Deputy Chief Ministers Eknath Shinde, and Ajit Pawar, and all the workers of the NDA.”
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who had replaced the former CM Eknath Shinde, said that the Mahayuti’s success in the Municipal Council and Nagar Panchayat polls was a team effort of the BJP organisation and the government. He said, “It is a team effort — organisation and government. We fought the polls on the development plank. I led the campaign on a positive development agenda, and never did I even once criticise any political leader or party.” His taking credit for win for himself shows his arrogance towards its allies, which may lead him to difficulties during the forthcoming BMC polls. Shiv Sena (Shinde) and NCP (Ajit Pawar) are sure to demand greater share in seats to contest, and with arrogance of Fadnavis, the seat sharing talks may be difficult among them.
As for the election result, the MVA leaders have blamed election commission, money power, and EVM manipulation. Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut attributed the victory of the Mahayuti to tampering of Electronic Voting Machines and said there was a “hailstorm” of money which the Opposition could not withstand. Shiv Sena (UBT) and Congress have accused the election commission to help Mahayuti to win the election. (IPA Service)
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