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The ruling side says this sweep is expected to fast-track several stalled urban infrastructure projects, including new metro lines and coastal road extensions
The alliance successfully crossed the halfway mark in the prestigious Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), ending decades of unilateral dominance by the Thackeray family and marking a historic shift in the administration of India’s richest civic body. (File pic/PTI)
The political landscape of urban Maharashtra underwent a significant realignment on Friday as the ruling Mahayuti alliance led by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) secured a resounding victory across the state’s major municipal corporations. Following a high-stakes polling day on Thursday, the counting of votes revealed a clear urban mandate in favour of the ruling side. The alliance successfully crossed the halfway mark in the prestigious Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), ending decades of unilateral dominance by the Thackeray family and marking a historic shift in the administration of India’s richest civic body.
The BJP emerged as the undisputed “big brother” of the alliance, demonstrating formidable strength in the state’s secondary urban hubs. In Nagpur, the party maintained its traditional stronghold, leading in over 80 wards and leaving the Congress a distant second. Similar trends were observed in Pimpri-Chinchwad and Pune, where the Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party had broken away from the Mahayuti to fight the polls with uncle Sharad Pawar’s NCP (SP). The BJP-led combine successfully warded off their spirited challenge and Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena (UBT). Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, celebrating the results at the state BJP headquarters in Mumbai, described the victory as a “mahavijay” (grand victory) and a testament to the voters’ faith in the development-led politics championed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The results provide a crucial lifeline for Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, whose faction of the Shiv Sena performed strongly in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR). The Shinde-led Sena recorded significant wins in Thane, Kalyan-Dombivli, and several wards in suburban Mumbai, effectively challenging the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) in its own backyard. Shinde remarked that the mandate proves the “real” Shiv Sena is the one focused on development and ground-level connectivity rather than legacy alone. The alliance’s performance in Navi Mumbai was equally dominant, with the BJP crossing the majority mark independently in the 109-member house, further cementing its grip on the industrial and satellite towns surrounding Mumbai.
For the opposition, the urban results present a sobering reality check. Despite a high-decibel campaign and a rare show of unity between cousins Uddhav and Raj Thackeray in Mumbai, the combine struggled to convert crowd enthusiasm into seats. While the Shiv Sena (UBT) maintained a respectable presence in central Mumbai and parts of the Konkan belt, the Congress and the Sharad Pawar faction of the NCP were largely confined to specific pockets like Latur and parts of Kolhapur. The opposition has raised concerns over the “indelible ink” controversy and alleged electronic voting machine (EVM) irregularities, but the State Election Commission has largely dismissed these claims, noting that the voter turnout of nearly 53 per cent reflected a healthy democratic engagement.
As the final tallies are formalised, the Mahayuti’s control over 25 out of the 29 municipal corporations that went to polls signals a massive consolidation of power ahead of the next legislative cycle. The ruling side says this sweep is expected to fast-track several stalled urban infrastructure projects, including new metro lines and coastal road extensions, which were centrepieces of the alliance’s manifesto. For the residents of Maharashtra’s bustling metros, the 2026 civic polls have delivered a clear verdict: a preference for the stability and resource-backing of the ruling coalition, effectively redrawing the map of urban power in the state for the next five years.
January 16, 2026, 18:24 IST
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