With elections to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) drawing closer, Maharashtra’s ruling Mahayuti alliance has stepped up efforts to finalise its strategy for the high-stakes civic battle. Deputy Chief Minister and NCP (Ajit Pawar faction) leader Ajit Pawar, along with senior party leaders Praful Patel and Sunil Tatkare, is scheduled to hold crucial talks with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis later today.

The meeting is expected to focus primarily on seat-sharing arrangements for the Mumbai civic polls, where voters will elect corporators for all 227 wards of the BMC. Mumbai remains one of the most politically significant urban bodies in the country, making negotiations within the alliance particularly sensitive. Reports indicate that the Ajit Pawar-led NCP has already carried out an extensive assessment of its organisational strength across Mumbai. The party’s Mumbai unit has submitted a ward-wise report claiming a strong influence in nearly 50 seats. Based on this internal survey, the NCP is keen to contest from strategically important constituencies such as Anushakti Nagar, Bhaykhala, Kurla, Mankhurd, Bandra East and West, and Chembur.

Although the BJP, Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde faction) and NCP (AP) are expected to fight the elections together under the Mahayuti banner in most parts of Maharashtra, fault lines remain in certain regions. Differences have surfaced over the role of senior NCP leader Nawab Malik, with both the BJP and Shiv Sena reportedly opposing his active involvement in the campaign.

The alliance dynamics are also complicated in cities like Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad, where local equations differ. Chief Minister Fadnavis recently hinted that the BJP and NCP could go their separate ways in these two civic bodies. Reacting to the remark, Ajit Pawar said the Chief Minister’s statement would have been made after careful thought and should be treated as a final decision.

Meanwhile, the State Election Commission has announced that elections to 29 municipal corporations across Maharashtra, including Mumbai, will be held on January 15, with vote counting scheduled for January 16. Welcoming the announcement, CM Fadnavis said prolonged rule by administrators was unhealthy for democracy and stressed the need to restore elected civic bodies.