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After years of delay, Maharashtra held civic elections for 29 municipal corporations on January 15. The results showed the BJP emerging as the leading party, with Devendra Fadnavis hailed as Bazigar No. 1. What was at stake in these elections in India's second most prosperous state? Who are the
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Akhil Vaani | Maha Tsunami In Maharashtra: BJP Party No. 1, Fadnavis Bazigar No. 1
Akhil Vaani | Maha Tsunami In Maharashtra: BJP Party No. 1, Fadnavis Bazigar No. 1
After years of delay, Maharashtra held civic elections for 29 municipal corporations on January 15. The results showed the BJP emerging as the leading party, with Devendra Fadnavis hailed as Bazigar No. 1.
What was at stake in these elections in India's second most prosperous state? Who are the winners and losers, and what do the results mean for different political parties? This edition of “Akhil Vaani" answers these questions and more.
Let's begin with the losers.
The election was as much about the losers as the winners. The three biggest losers were:
• Chacha-Bhatija Booted Out: The Chacha-Bhatija combine lost its stronghold in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporations, despite the two NCP factions joining forces and running a high-decibel campaign.
• Bhai-Bhai Vanquished: Uddhav and Raj Thackeray united to defend Mumbai but were defeated by the rising saffron tide.
• Decimated: The Congress, born in Bombay in 1885, was wiped out from Mumbai and Maharashtra.
With most results declared, the BJP emerged as the leading party. Out of 2,833 announced seats, the party positions are as follows:
• BJP – 1,400
• Shiv Sena – 397
• Congress – 306
• NCP – 151
• Shiv Sena-UBT – 166
• AIMIM – 94
• NCP-SS – 29
• Others – 224
Intriguingly, NCP-SS was decimated, while AIMIM surged beyond expectations.
Fadnavis claims BJP+ will control 25 of the 29 corporations. Whether it is 22 or 25, the saffron party has secured a leading position like never before.
But how big is the jackpot?
The combined annual budget of the municipal corporations that the BJP will control exceeds Rs 1.5 lakh crore, more than the annual budgets of nearly 20 states and Union Territories in India.
The most significant victory is in Mumbai, where the BJP+ ousted the Thackeray clan for the first time in three decades. BMC election results show BJP+ with a clear majority of 118 seats. The breakdown is as follows:
• BJP – 89
• Shiv Sena – 29
• Shiv Sena (UBT) – 65
• Congress+ – 24
• AIMIM – 8
• MNS – 6
• NCP – 3
• Samajwadi Party – 2
• NCP (SP) – 1
An interesting part is AIMIM's surge, winning more seats than MNS.
BMC's annual budget exceeds Rs 75,000 crore, more than the combined budget of Sikkim, Nagaland, Manipur, Meghalaya, and Mizoram. BMC, where the Thackerays gained their power, has now slipped from their grasp and is a crown jewel that the BJP has wanted to control for two decades.
The BJP also performed impressively across the Mumbai Urban agglomeration and Mumbai Metropolitan region, dominating corporations including Navi Mumbai and Kalyan-Dombivali. The Shinde party emerged as the big player in Thane, its home turf.
The only exception was Vasai–Virar, where the BVA, the party of the Thakur family, retained control, defeating the BJP.
While the Thackeray brothers lost Mumbai, the Pawar clan was humiliated in Pune.
Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) and Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) were NCP strongholds but were decimated by the BJP in this election.
1. Pune Municipal Corporation – BJP won 122 out of 165 seats, NCP 20, NCP (SP) 3, and Congress 15.
2. Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation – BJP won 84 out of 128 seats, NCP 37, Shiv Sena 6, and independents 1. NCP (SS) failed to win a seat.
The combined annual budget of PMC and PCMC is around Rs 20,000 crore, comparable to the budgets of Delhi Municipal Corporation and NDMC combined.
Among the corporations the BJP won is the Jalgaon Municipal Corporation, the richest in terms of per capita budget. With a population of 6.5 lakh, its annual budget of Rs. 1,000 crore is the highest per capita in the country. BJP won 46 out of 75 seats, Shiv Sena 22, NCP 1, Shiv Sena (UBT) 5, and independent 1.
Nagpur, home to the RSS headquarters and Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, remains a BJP stronghold. The BJP won 102 out of 150 seats in the Nagpur Municipal Corporation election.
On December 21, in the first phase of Maharashtra civic polls, the BJP-led Mahayuti won 207 of 288 municipal councils and nagar panchayats. The BJP secured 117 president posts, Shiv Sena 53, and the Ajit Pawar faction of NCP 37. The BJP also won over 3,300 councillor seats. This was a preview of their eventual dominance.
1. Party Number 1: BJP has emerged as the dominant party, and Ajit Pawar's days in the state government may be numbered. The BJP might contest the next assembly elections solo or from a position of strength.
2. Hero Number 1: Devendra Fadnavis has established himself as a top leader in Maharashtra and a future leader in the BJP's national setup.
3. Development is the New Caste: BJP's Hindutva-plus-development pitch resonates across India, replacing caste with governance and transparent welfare delivery.
4. End of the Family Raj: Maharashtra voters have rejected the family rule, including the Thackerays and NCP factions.
5. At the Margin: Congress is now marginalised and faces extinction.
6. Fragmentation: A fragmented and disunited opposition has allowed the BJP to consolidate votes.
7. Rise and Rise: AIMIM has emerged as a significant player with 94 seats, indicating a shift in Muslim votes away from Congress and NCP.
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These local body elections were the first major political battle of 2026, and the BJP emerged as the clear winner. As the BJP prepares for assembly elections in West Bengal, Assam, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala, it is a wake-up call for the opposition parties.
The author is a multidisciplinary thought leader with Action Bias, India-based international impact consultant, and keen watcher of changing national and international scenarios. He works as president, advisory services of consulting company BARSYL. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect News18's views.
Source: News18
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