Early trends show the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance heading for a decisive victory across Maharashtra’s municipal elections, consolidating power in major urban centres and leading in most of the 29 civic bodies where counting is underway.
In the 227-member Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, the Mahayuti is leading in 118 wards, ahead of the Shiv Sena (UBT)-led alliance’s 83, indicating a possible end to the Sena’s long-standing dominance over Mumbai’s civic body.
Strong BJP leads in Pune, Pimpri-Chinchwad, Nagpur, Kalyan-Dombivli, Nashik, and several western Maharashtra cities point to a weakening of regional rivals and a broader realignment of Maharashtra’s urban political landscape.
Maharashtra Municipal Polls: BJP-Led Mahayuti On The Way To Win In Mumbai; NCP To Lose Pune Bastion
Beyond Mumbai, the BJP has surged ahead of the NCP–NCP (SP) alliance led by Ajit Pawar and Sharad Pawar in major civic corporations such as Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad.
Summary
The BJP-led Mahayuti alliance appears set for a decisive victory in Maharashtra’s municipal elections, with a sweeping consolidation of power across key urban centres. Vote counting began at 10 am on Friday, following polling held on Thursday.
At the centre of attention is the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), India’s richest civic body and among the wealthiest in Asia. Of the 227 wards in the BMC, the Mahayuti alliance is currently leading in 118, putting it on course to cross the majority mark. The Shiv Sena (UBT)-led alliance, which has positioned the election as a fight to reclaim Mumbai’s political legacy, is leading in 83 wards.
The scale of Mahayuti's performance prompted celebratory signals from the BJP leadership. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis personally called state BJP president Ravindra Chauhan to congratulate him on the alliance’s strong showing. In a post on X, Fadnavis declared, “BJP writes history once again at the Municipal Corporation Election 2025–26,” framing the early leads as a validation of the party’s urban strategy.
Beyond Mumbai, the BJP has surged ahead of the NCP–NCP (SP) alliance led by Ajit Pawar and Sharad Pawar in major civic corporations such as Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad. These results point to a weakening of the Pawars’ traditional influence in urban western Maharashtra, an area long seen as their political bastion.
The trend continues across Kolhapur, Satara, Solapur, and Sangli, reinforcing the narrative of a statewide urban tilt in favour of the BJP–Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) alliance. Overall, early results from elections to 29 civic bodies indicate a clear advantage for the Mahayuti, suggesting a broad-based mandate rather than isolated wins.
In the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, the BJP and Shiv Sena have also maintained a strong lead in Kalyan-Dombivli, where the alliance is ahead in at least 37 seats with counting completed in 48 of the 122 wards. In Nashik, where polling was held on Thursday, early trends show the BJP leading in over eight seats, indicating competitive gains in another key urban centre.
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Nagpur, the home turf of Chief Minister Fadnavis and Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, has delivered one of the most emphatic verdicts. Of the 151 seats in the Nagpur Municipal Corporation, the BJP is leading in 101, far ahead of the Congress, which is leading in 25, and the Shinde-led Shiv Sena, which trails with three seats.
Taken together, the early trends from Maharashtra’s municipal elections suggest a decisive reordering of urban political equations. The Mahayuti’s dominance across multiple civic bodies, especially in Mumbai, signals not just electoral success, but a consolidation of institutional power that could have far-reaching implications for state politics ahead of future Assembly and national contests.
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