Maharashtra Civic Body Elections 2026: Devendra Fadnavis gives BIG statement on Ajit Pawar, praises PM Modi

Mumbai: On a high after the BJP registered a thumping victory in the Maharashtra Civic Body Election 2026, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Saturday dismissed suggestions that voters had rejected deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar on his home turf.

What did Devendra Fadnavis say? 

 The Maharashtra chief minister asserted that rather than rejecting Ajit Pawar,  voters had instead endorsed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership and the BJP’s governance model. 

“I will not say that people have rejected dada, rather they have accepted the leadership of Prime Minister Modi, the BJP and us,” Fadnavis told the media.

Fadnavis' remarks came a day after the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance swept to victory in the Maharashtra civic polls.

Who will become mayor of Mumbai?

The BJP has achieved a historic victory in the BMC elections. Buoyed by this success, the BJP and the Eknath Shinde faction of the Shiv Sena have begun preparations to elect the mayor of Mumbai. However, amidst this, a statement came from Uddhav Thackeray that if 'God' wills it, the mayor will be from his party. 

When Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis was asked about this, he said, “It is truly the will of the Almighty that the mayor will be from the Mahayuti (grand alliance). Who will become the mayor, when will they be elected, where will they be elected, and for how many years, all these decisions will be taken jointly by me, Eknath Shinde, and our party leaders. There is no dispute on this."

What did Uddhav Thackeray say?

The Maharashtra Chief Minister's statement came in response to remarks by Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray on Saturday. Even after the historic victory of the BJP and the Shinde faction in the BMC elections, Uddhav Thackeray said that if God wills it, the post of BMC mayor will go to his party.

The former Chief Minister's comment comes at a time when it is uncertain after the elections whether the mayor's post will go to the BJP or Shinde's Shiv Sena. Speaking to party workers, Thackeray said that making a Shiv Sena (UBT) mayor in Mumbai is his dream, and if God wills it, this dream will come true. He said that the BJP is under the misconception that it has finished off the Shiv Sena (UBT), but that is not the case.

"The BJP could not finish off the Shiv Sena at the grassroots level," Thackeray said.

 He alleged that the BJP has won through betrayal by “mortgaging Mumbai”. 

“The Marathi people will never forgive this sin. The fight is not over yet, it has just begun," he said.

What happened in BMC elections 2026?

It is worth noting that the BJP and its ally Eknath Shinde have achieved a historic victory in the BMC elections. The BJP has seized control of the BMC, shaking the Thackeray family's three-decade-long hold on the municipal corporation. For the past three decades, the BMC mayor was decided at Matoshree (the Thackeray family residence), but this time it will be decided by BJP leaders. The BJP has emerged as the largest party in the Maharashtra municipal elections. It defeated the Thackeray brothers' alliance in the BMC and delivered a significant blow to the Pawar family in Pune.