Panvel and Navi Mumbai Show Contrasting Political Scenes Ahead of Civic Polls
Adjacent to Mumbai, the rapid development hubs of Panvel and Navi Mumbai in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region are witnessing sharply different political situations as civic polls approach.
Panvel's United Mahayuti Faces Opposition Challenges
Established in 2016, the Panvel Municipal Corporation has seen BJP dominance since its first election in 2017. Led by local MLA Prashant Thakur, the BJP won 51 of 78 seats back then. The Peasants and Workers Party secured 23 seats, while the undivided NCP and Congress took two each.
Despite splits in Shiv Sena and NCP, the political landscape in Panvel remains largely unchanged. However, the civic body continues to struggle with key issues. Irregular water supply and pending property tax bills have persisted for nine years.
On Sunday, the Opposition dared Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to address these pending problems during his campaign rally. They alleged that local BJP leaders have failed to deliver on past promises.
For the 2026 polls, the BJP is contesting 71 seats in Panvel after forming an alliance with Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena, which will fight on four seats. The Ajit Pawar-led NCP will contest two seats, and RPI one.
The PWP, despite losing several top leaders and having former MLA Vivek Patil in jail, is attempting a fight by aligning with other Opposition parties. As part of the Maha Vikas Aghadi's seat-sharing arrangement, PWP will contest 29 seats, Sena UBT 16, Congress 12, and the rest to other parties including MNS.
Sudam Patil, Panvel Congress chief, highlighted unresolved issues. "Be it naming the new Navi Mumbai airport after late D B Patil or ensuring regular water supply to Kharghar, these matters remain unresolved. The pending property tax issue after the corporation's formation also persists. If the chief minister visits Panvel, he should solve these problems and admit local BJP failure," he said.
Bitter Fight for Dominance in Navi Mumbai
While Mahayuti presents a united front in Panvel, Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation sees a fierce tug-of-war between Shinde's Sena and the BJP. Despite serving together in the Cabinet, Eknath Shinde and BJP minister Ganesh Naik are locked in conflict.
Even before official election announcements, both parties prepared to contest independently. Alliance meetings occurred as a formality, but the breakup was declared on nomination day due to seat-sharing disagreements. The BJP fielded candidates for all 111 seats, while Shinde Sena is fighting on 106. They directly compete on 106 seats.
This split has put the Opposition on the backfoot, with both parties enrolling top leaders from Congress, Sena UBT, and NCP(SP). As a result, the Opposition failed to field candidates for all 111 seats. Sena UBT and MNS formed an alliance, while other parties fight independently.
Last week, Shinde campaigned extensively across Airoli and Belapur wards. Meanwhile, Naik claimed credit for resolving long-standing issues like redevelopment of dilapidated buildings, project-affected persons, SRA schemes, and condominium matters.
The BJP granted full election authority to Naik, who launched a scathing attack on Shinde. He accused Shinde of diverting Navi Mumbai's water supply and handing over plots reserved for social amenities to builders. Naik challenged Shinde to contest Lok Sabha and Assembly elections independently, warning of political erasure for anyone crossing him.
In response, Shinde Sena accused Naik of land grabbing, specifically citing Bavkhaleshwar and Retibandar glass house plots, and blamed him for stalling city development. Sena Minister Shambhuraj Desai countered during campaigning, "You are a minister because of us. We will overturn your chariot and bring change," he stated.
