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While the party held its core bastions in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region—particularly Thane, Kalyan-Dombivli & Ulhasnagar—performance outside the pockets has raised concerns
According to sources, Eknath Shinde is dissatisfied with the performance of several ministers and MLAs who were assigned district-wise responsibilities ahead of the polls. (PTI)
The outcome of local body elections across 29 districts in Maharashtra has triggered intense churn within the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, with sources indicating that the deputy chief minister is weighing a significant cabinet reshuffle after a clear mismatch between expectations and delivery on the ground.
For the Shinde faction, the municipal council and corporation elections were never routine. They were designed as a stress test of organisational strength after the party split. While the party held its core bastions in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region—particularly Thane, Kalyan-Dombivli and Ulhasnagar—the performance outside these pockets has raised serious concerns within the leadership.
Across 29 municipal corporations, the Shiv Sena led by Shinde managed around 390–400 seats, a modest figure when viewed against the BJP’s dominant haul of over 1,400 corporator seats. In crucial urban centres such as Mumbai, Nagpur, Solapur, Pimpri-Chinchwad and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Shinde’s Sena failed to cross even double-digit tallies, underlining its weak urban penetration.
The party’s performance remained heavily Thane-centric, with over half its total strength concentrated in a single region, while large parts of Vidarbha, Marathwada and Western Maharashtra delivered marginal returns.
According to sources, Shinde is dissatisfied with the performance of several ministers and MLAs who were assigned district-wise responsibilities ahead of the polls. These leaders were expected to strengthen the party organisation, manage candidate selection and convert political influence into electoral gains. Except for a handful of urban centres, that strategy failed to translate into results.
The leadership’s concern is not limited to outright losses. Even in districts where the party finished second in Zilla Parishad or municipal council elections, the margins and campaign execution have been viewed as below par. Sources say the assessment within the party is that weak planning, lack of grassroots connect and complacency among senior leaders cost the Shiv Sena crucial ground.
Shinde had made it clear before the elections that local body polls would serve as a benchmark for performance. Ministers were given sufficient time, authority and organisational backing. The poor show in several regions is now being treated as a direct reflection of their effectiveness—or the lack of it.
As a result, multiple ministers are said to be under the scanner. Sources suggest that Shinde is considering dropping those seen as organisationally ineffective and replacing them with new faces who demonstrated stronger mobilisation skills during the campaign. The move is being viewed as course correction ahead of future assembly and parliamentary battles.
Within party circles, the message is clear: positions in the cabinet will be linked to political output, not seniority or symbolism. With the dust settling on the local elections, attention has now shifted to Mantralaya, where decisions taken in the coming days could redraw the internal power structure of the Shinde-led Shiv Sena.
NO END TO POACHING FEARS
Meanwhile, it is likely that the stay of newly elected Shiv Sena corporators at the Taj Hotel will be extended to stave off any poaching attempts.
As the official gazette notifications from the municipal corporation are likely to be delayed on Monday, the corporators may continue to stay at the hotel for another day.
According to sources, all necessary paperwork will be completed on Monday and on Tuesday at 11 am, all Shiv Sena corporators are expected to proceed to Konkan Bhavan to formally submit their gazette notifications.
January 19, 2026, 13:01 IST
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