BJP Makes Massive Gains in Mumbai Region But Thakur Family Retains Vasai Virar Stronghold
The Bharatiya Janata Party has achieved a sweeping victory across most urban centers in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region. However, Vasai Virar presents a striking exception to this trend. The Bahujan Vikas Aghadi, founded by the Thakur family, has maintained its firm control over the Vasai-Virar City Municipal Corporation.
BJP's Remarkable Expansion in Vasai Virar
BJP workers celebrated enthusiastically in Navi Mumbai as results poured in. The party has dramatically increased its presence in Vasai Virar. From securing just one seat in the 2015 civic polls, the BJP has now expanded to 44 seats. This marks the party's strongest ever performance in this municipal corporation.
Despite this significant surge, the BJP fell short of achieving a majority. The party could not dislodge the established local force from power. The Bahujan Vikas Aghadi comfortably crossed the majority mark by winning 71 of the 115 seats.
Thakur Family's Resilient Hold on Local Politics
The election results carry substantial political significance beyond mere numbers. As the BJP steadily expands across the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, Vasai Virar stands out as the only major municipal corporation where the party has failed to wrest control. This outcome highlights the remarkable resilience of Hitendra Thakur's local political organization.
The civic polls, conducted after a gap of nearly ten years, served as a crucial test for the Thakur family's political standing. Both Hitendra Thakur and his son Kshitij Thakur had suffered defeats in recent Assembly elections. Many observers questioned whether the Bahujan Vikas Aghadi's influence in the region was finally diminishing.
Hitendra Thakur, a former six-time MLA from Vasai, remains a dominant figure in the semi-urban belt encompassing Vasai, Virar and Nalasopara in Palghar district. The Thakur family's influence extends well beyond politics, with deep roots in local businesses and community networks.
Political Dynamics and Defections
The BJP had performed well in Assembly elections with victories in Vasai and Nalasopara constituencies. The party also benefited from a series of defections from the Bahujan Vikas Aghadi. Several senior BVA leaders crossed over to the BJP ahead of the municipal corporation polls.
Relations between the Thakurs and the BJP deteriorated sharply in the run-up to the 2024 Assembly elections. A major controversy erupted when BJP national general secretary Vinod Tawde was allegedly caught with cash at a hotel in Virar East. This incident occurred more than seventeen hours after the Assembly campaign had officially ended.
Supporters of the Thakur family reportedly exposed this incident, causing considerable embarrassment to the BJP. However, the Thakurs themselves faced a major setback soon after, failing to win a single Assembly seat.
Other Parties' Performance
The Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena managed to secure just one seat in the Vasai Virar municipal corporation. Both the Congress party and the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena failed to open their accounts, receiving no seats in these civic polls.
Over the past year, the Bahujan Vikas Aghadi witnessed a wave of defections alongside sustained efforts by the BJP to make inroads into the region. While the BJP has succeeded in building a strong base of over forty corporators in Vasai Virar, it has stopped short of ending the Thakur family's long-standing control over the municipal corporation.
The Thakur family's seat share has dropped sharply from the 106 seats it won in 2015. Yet they have managed to retain their hold on the city's civic administration. This outcome demonstrates the continuing strength of localized political organizations even against a powerful national party's expansion.
