The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has secured a commanding position in the recent urban local body elections in Maharashtra, establishing itself as the single largest party. The party has taken a decisive lead in a significant number of municipal councils and nagar panchayats, far outpacing its alliance partners and the opposition coalition.
Decisive Lead for Ruling Alliance
As the counting of votes commenced on Sunday morning, trends indicated a strong performance by the ruling Mahayuti alliance. The BJP is leading in 127 out of the total 286 municipal councils and nagar panchayats that went to the polls. Its allies, the Shiv Sena and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), are ahead in 53 and 32 seats respectively. This collective performance puts the Mahayuti alliance in a dominant position, leading in a combined 212 urban local bodies.
Opposition MVA's Dismal Show
In stark contrast, the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) has put up a disappointing performance. The coalition is leading in only 53 seats. Within the MVA, the Congress is ahead in 36 seats, while the Shiv Sena (UBT) and the Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP) are leading in just nine and eight seats respectively. This result marks a significant setback for the opposition bloc in the state.
Celebrations erupted at the BJP office in Mumbai as the trends became clear. Senior BJP leader Praveen Darekar expressed confidence in the party's performance, stating they were sure of winning over 50 percent of the seats. He credited the victory to public trust in the leadership of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
A Boost for Upcoming Corporation Polls
Darekar, who also served as the party's poll manager, highlighted that this result would energize the party cadre for the crucial upcoming elections. Polls for 29 major municipal corporations, including the prestigious Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), are scheduled for January 15. The strong showing in the smaller urban bodies is seen as a major morale booster for the BJP ahead of these high-stakes elections.
The electoral process was conducted in two phases. The first phase of voting for 263 seats was held on December 2, recording a voter turnout of 67.63 percent according to the State Election Commission (SEC). The remaining seats went to the polls on December 20. The SEC had initially planned a single-phase election but later revised the schedule.
Voter enthusiasm varied across regions. Murgud municipal council in Kolhapur district recorded the highest polling percentage at 88.43, while Besa Pipla in Nagpur district saw the lowest turnout at 51.33 percent. The counting for all 286 seats began at 10 am on Sunday, finalizing the verdict of Maharashtra's urban electorate.
