The ruling Mahayuti alliance has taken a commanding early lead ahead of the Maharashtra municipal corporation elections, securing 64 seats even before voting day. The development comes after the close of the nomination withdrawal window, during which several opposition candidates pulled out of the race, clearing the path for Mahayuti nominees to be declared elected unopposed.
The alliance—comprising the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, and the Ajit Pawar faction of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP)—has benefited unevenly, with the BJP emerging as the principal gainer. A total of 44 BJP candidates have entered civic bodies without facing an electoral contest, reflecting the party’s strong organisational presence at the local level. The Shiv Sena faction followed with 22 unopposed wins, while the NCP accounted for two such victories.
Geographically, the BJP’s dominance was most visible in the Kalyan-Dombivli belt, where 15 of its candidates were elected without opposition. The party also registered six unopposed wins each in Bhiwandi, Panvel and Jalgaon, underlining its expanding footprint in urban and semi-urban regions. Additional gains were recorded in Dhule, Ahilyanagar, Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad, further consolidating its civic-level strength.
The Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) also posted notable numbers, particularly in Thane, where seven of its candidates secured seats uncontested. Kalyan-Dombivli and Jalgaon contributed six unopposed wins each to the party’s tally. Meanwhile, the NCP’s two unchallenged victories came from Ahilyanagar. In Malegaon, a candidate from a local Islamic political outfit was also elected unopposed, indicating the role of regional dynamics in select constituencies.
These developments have provided a morale boost to the Mahayuti camp as the state prepares for full-scale polling. The alliance had earlier delivered a strong performance in municipal council and nagar panchayat elections held last month, riding on the momentum of its sweeping win in the 2024 Maharashtra Assembly elections.
