The Mahayuti alliance, led by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), achieved a sweeping victory in the first phase of Maharashtra’s local body elections, consolidating its dominance in the state’s grassroots politics. The results, announced on Sunday, showed that the alliance secured 207 out of 288 municipal council and nagar panchayat president posts, leaving the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) with just 44 posts.
Within the alliance, the BJP emerged as the single largest party, winning 117 municipal president posts. Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) claimed 53 seats, while Ajit Pawar-led NCP secured 37 posts. On the other hand, the MVA, which includes Congress and Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena (UBT), had a poor showing. Congress won 28 posts, while other MVA partners managed only a handful of victories.
Mahayuti leaders attributed their success to a campaign focused on development work and public welfare projects, rather than personal attacks or political rhetoric. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis described the win as the result of a team effort and praised the party organisation for its grassroots mobilisation. He said the victory reflected public trust in the government’s work and development agenda.
National BJP leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, congratulated the party and the alliance for the outcome, saying it demonstrated citizens’ approval of their governance and development focus. Analysts note that the results not only strengthen Mahayuti’s position in local politics but also send a strong message to the opposition, highlighting challenges for the MVA in upcoming elections.
The results are particularly significant ahead of municipal corporation elections scheduled for January, which will be the next major political test in Maharashtra. Political observers say the outcome reflects continued support for the ruling alliance at the grassroots level and indicates that voters are prioritising development and welfare measures over party politics.
Also Read: Fog disrupts Delhi, haze to continue
