Maharashtra Civic Polls: BJP-Led Mahayuti Sweeps Urban Bodies, Thackeray Stronghold Falls

The BJP-led Mahayuti alliance delivered a decisive victory in the Maharashtra civic elections, winning 23 of the 29 municipal corporations and marking a major shift in the state’s urban political landscape. The results ended more than two decades of Thackeray dominance over Mumbai’s Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and confirmed the Bharatiya Janata Party’s growing dominance across urban Maharashtra.
For the first time since the BMC’s formation, the BJP emerged as the single-largest party in Mumbai, enabling it to control India’s richest civic body. The outcome represents a major setback for the Thackeray family, whose political influence in Mumbai had remained unchallenged for 25 years. Despite a joint campaign by Uddhav Thackeray and Raj Thackeray and a strong Marathi identity pitch, the Opposition failed to counter the BJP’s momentum.
In the BMC, the BJP secured 89 seats, well ahead of rivals. Shiv Sena (UBT) won 65 seats, largely in south-central Mumbai, while the Eknath Shinde–led Shiv Sena won 29. The Congress recorded its worst-ever performance in Mumbai, managing only 24 seats, while smaller parties shared the remainder.
The BJP also registered commanding victories in other major municipal corporations, including Nagpur, Pune, Pimpri-Chinchwad, Nashik and Solapur, consolidating its hold over the Mumbai–Pune–Nashik industrial corridor. This region plays a crucial role in Maharashtra’s economy and political influence.
Statewide, the Opposition struggled to retain ground, winning just six corporations. The Congress managed to hold on to only three civic bodies, while divisions within the Nationalist Congress Party failed to prevent losses in traditional strongholds. Even where allies contested separately, results largely favoured the BJP.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis described the mandate as public approval of the government’s development-focused agenda and governance model. The results have strengthened the BJP’s leadership position in the state and further cemented its status as the dominant force in Maharashtra’s urban politics.