BJP-Led Mahayuti Dominates Urban Local Body Elections in Maharashtra

Maharashtra: The results of the Municipal Council and Nagar Panchayat elections in Maharashtra have clearly indicated that the ruling Mahayuti alliance still has a strong hold in the state. This alliance of BJP, Shiv Sena, and NCP left the opposition far behind by winning 207 out of 288 municipal posts.

Why did Mahavikas Aghadi lag behind again?

The opposition Mahavikas Aghadi could not perform as expected in these elections. Congress, NCP (Sharad Pawar faction), and Uddhav Thackeray's Shiv Sena together could win only 44 municipal posts. This was the second big opportunity after the assembly elections, but the trust of the voters could not be regained.

Which party benefited the most?

According to the final results of the State Election Commission, BJP emerged as the biggest winner of this election. The party alone won 117 municipal posts. After this, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena got 53 posts, and NCP got 37 posts.

In which areas was NCP's performance strong?

NCP, which was part of Mahayuti, had contested elections on 80 municipal posts and won 37. The party's performance was particularly strong in the Pune district, where 10 out of 17 city council and nagar panchayat president posts went to NCP.

How weak was the position of the opposition parties?

Congress, while in opposition, won the maximum number of 28 posts, but this figure also lagged far behind the ruling alliance. Sharad Pawar's faction of the NCP had to be content with seven posts, and Uddhav Thackeray's Shiv Sena had to be content with only nine posts.

How much support did other parties and independents get?

According to the Election Commission, registered but unrecognized parties won 28 municipal posts. At the same time, parties recognized but not recognized at the state or national level got four posts. Independent candidates also won five seats.

When and how was the voting held?

Out of a total of 288, voting was held for 286 Municipal Council and Nagar Panchayat President posts in two phases on December 2 and 20. Candidates were elected unopposed at two places.

How did Prime Minister Modi see the results?

Even before the trend became clear, Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated the Mahayuti. He said that the people of Maharashtra have once again expressed confidence in the development-related works, and these results show the same confidence.

What was the reaction of other leaders?

Home Minister Amit Shah called it a sign of support for good governance. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said that BJP becoming the largest party in the urban body elections is the result of the hard work of the workers and the support of the public.