Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], January 17 : The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its Mahayuti allies swept the Maharashtra civic elections, winning 25 of 29 municipal corporations, including the prestigious Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).
This marks a significant shift in power, ending the Thackeray family's nearly three-decade dominance over the BMC. The Mahayuti alliance crossed the majority mark of 114 in the 227-member BMC, securing 118 seats. BJP emerged as the single largest party with 89 seats. Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde) won 29 seats.
Shiv Sena (UBT) secured 65 seats and led the opposition. Congress won 24 seats. AIMIM made notable inroads with 8 seats in Mumbai and 114 statewide; MNS won 6 seats.
The BJP-led coalition also dominated other key urban centres. In Pune BJP achieved a sweep with 123 seats, significantly outperforming the combined NCP factions (25 seats). In Nagpur BJP won 102 seats in its stronghold, while the Congress secured 34.
In Thane, the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena maintained its dominance, winning 75 of 131 seats, while in Navi Mumbai BJP clinched the body for the first time with 65 seats.
Opposition, including Uddhav Thackeray and Rahul Gandhi, alleged "gross mismanagement" and "murder of democracy", citing missing voters, indelible ink controversy, and misuse of power.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis termed the outcome an endorsement of the BJP's development agenda, while opposition leaders questioned the conduct of the polls and alleged misuse of power.
Prime Minister hailed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Mahayuti's victory in the Maharashtra civic body polls, stating that the party is winning in places once considered impossible to gain support.
During a public meeting in West Bengal's Malda, Prime Minister Modi attributed the BJP's victories in the BMC polls and the Thiruvananthapuram local body elections in Kerala to young voters' trust in the BJP's 'development model'.
He said, "The results of the urban local body elections in Maharashtra were announced yesterday. The BJP has achieved a historic victory in these elections. In particular, the BJP has secured a record victory for the first time in Mumbai, in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), one of the world's largest municipal corporations, which is a significant development in Maharashtra politics. A few days ago, the BJP also elected its first mayor in Thiruvananthapuram, the capital of Kerala. This shows that even in places where winning elections was once considered impossible for the BJP, the party is now receiving unprecedented support."
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said that the BJP has achieved an "unprecedented victory" and emerged as the "single-largest party" in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections.
"I am very happy that the Bharatiya Janata Party has achieved an unprecedented victory in Maharashtra. The Bharatiya Janata Party and our alliance partners have secured a clear majority in about 25 of the 29 places, including Mumbai. The BJP has emerged as the single-largest party, and I extend my heartfelt congratulations to the people of Maharashtra and all BJP workers".
CM Fadnavis said the results show the people of Maharashtra's faith in Prime Minister Narendra Modi and acceptance of the development agenda pursued by the BJP-led NDA government in Maharashtra.
"This victory is a testament to Maharashtra's faith in Prime Minister Narendra Modi. This victory is the result of the hard work of all our workers, especially an endorsement by the people of the development agenda we have pursued...," Fadnavis told ANI.
Union Minister Nitin Gadkari also said that the NDA did not engage in politics based on caste or religion and pursued development with "complete honesty".
"The people have chosen us for 5 years. The trust and love of the people are our greatest strength. We did not engage in politics based on caste, religion, or language. We pursued development with complete honesty and did not discriminate in development in any way...," Gadkari told reporters.
According to Maharashtra Chief Minister and BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis and other BJP leaders, the Yuti recorded such a sweeping victory in the state civic polls due to the "development agenda".
Meanwhile, the Thackeray brothers' alliance Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) and Raj Thackeray's Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) also secured a notable share of seats and votes across Mumbai.
On the BMC polls, Maharashtra Navnirnman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray said that those in power will "not let go of any opportunity" to harass the Marathi people.
He vowed to stand firm in support of the Marathi people.
"Truth be told, you don't really need me to tell you this. But still, I say--whether in the MMR region or across the state, those in power and their supporters will not let go of any opportunity to harass the Marathi people. Therefore, we must stand firmly behind our Marathi people. Elections will come and go, but we must never forget that our breath is Marathi," Raj Thackeray posted on X.
He applauded the winning candidates of MNS and Shiv Sena (UBT) in the civic body elections and stated that the contest among parties was indeed a tough battle of unyielding financial power.
"First and foremost, heartfelt congratulations to all the elected corporators from Maharashtra Navnirman Sena and Shiv Sena. This election was not an easy one. It was a battle of unyielding financial power and the might of authority against Shivshakti. Yet, even in such a contest, the workers from both sides put up an excellent fight. Their praise cannot be enough," Raj Thackeray posted on X.
Thackeray further stated that, even though the opposition won, MNS party workers are not the ones to be discouraged. He said that the MNS will keep a check on the elected corporators to ensure that the Marathi community is served with justice at all times.
"Though Maharashtra Navnirman Sena did not achieve the expected success this time, and that brings sorrow, we are not the ones to get disheartened by it. Our elected corporators will more than hold their own against the ruling powers wherever they are. And if anything seems to go against the Marathi people, they will certainly bring those in power to task," he wrote on X.
"Our fight is for the Marathi people, the Marathi language, Marathi identity, and for a prosperous Maharashtra. This fight is our very existence. You all know well that such battles are long-term," he added.
However, Shiv Sena (UBT) president Uddhav Thackeray described the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections held on January 15 as a "strange" and desperate fight for his opponents.
He levelled serious accusations, claiming the ruling alliance used "every method possible," from distributing cash to the alleged kidnapping of candidates, to force withdrawals and secure a win.
Addressing a press conference after the poll debacle, Thackeray said, "This election was very strange. It felt like this was a life-and-death election for them. They opted for all methods, from cash to kidnapping our candidates; they forced candidates to withdraw their nominations."
However, he hailed the citizens of Mumbai who weren't scared despite attempts to intimidate and expressed deep gratitude to those who backed the Shiv Shakti Alliance, the first-time collaboration between his faction and his cousin Raj Thackeray's MNS.
Uddhav also claimed he had received numerous complaints from citizens about missing names on the voter list.
"Where did those numbers come from? Was it from some party office? Before counting numbers were seen on TV. In future, there will be no EVM, and the direct results will be declared. I have received several complaints from voters that their names were missing from the voter list. At various locations, the results are surprising. I had doubts about the exit polls," he added," the UBT President said.
Commenting on the BMC results, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut said the Chief Minister has unlimited powers, including access to police, money, and administrative resources and claimed that any Chief Minister with such powers would have delivered similar results.
"As Chief Minister, he has unlimited power; he has the police, he has many other people and resources at his disposal, he has money, he has everything. Even if it were another Chief Minister, the results would have been the same. The biggest battle was in Mumbai. We shouldn't assume that the BJP won in Mumbai. It is balanced. The MNS got fewer seats; they should have gotten around 15, that's what I think. We lost 10 to 15 seats by a very small margin. But in the BMC, the opposition's strength is equal to that of the ruling party," he said.
Highlighting the Opposition's strength inside the civic body, Raut asserted that Shiv Sena (UBT) and its allies would act as a strong check on the ruling alliance.
"We have 105 people inside the BMC. They cannot sell Mumbai. We are sitting there. Even if we lose our lives, we will end the rule of these contractors," Raut added.
The All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) has recorded its most impressive performance yet in Maharashtra's municipal corporation elections, winning 125 corporator seats and significantly expanding its presence across the state's urban centres.
Party president and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi described the results as a clear expression of public confidence in AIMIM's politics and governance-oriented approach.
Addressing the media in Hyderabad, Owaisi thanked voters and party workers for their support.
"I sincerely thank the people of Maharashtra for coming out to vote and for blessing our candidates with their trust. This mandate belongs to the people who believed in us and to our workers who worked tirelessly on the ground. Our success is not limited to one community. Hindus, Dalits and minorities have all won on our party symbol. This shows that people are voting on issues of development, justice and dignity," he stated.
"Elections are not the end goal. Our corporators must remain among the people and work continuously in their wards. They have to fulfil the hopes and expectations of those who voted for them," Owaisi said.
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections saw the BJP-Shiv Sena alliance emerge as the single largest bloc, beating the Thackeray brothers. According to official figures, the BJP won 89 seats, while its alliance partner, the Shinde Sena, secured 29 seats. Mahayuti also swept Thane, Pune, and Pimpri-Chinchwad among the total 29 civic bodies that underwent polling.
The UBT-led Sena polled 7,17,736 votes, accounting for 13.13 per cent of the total votes cast. The MNS added 6 seats to the alliance tally, with 74,946 votes and a 1.37 per cent vote share. The Indian National Congress (INC) secured 24 seats, polling 2,42,646 votes, which represents 4.44 per cent of the total vote share.
Meanwhile, after a sweeping victory for the BJP-Sena's Mahayuti in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections in Maharashtra, Mumbai is witnessing power play and hotel politics, as Shiv Sena has moved all its newly elected corporators to a hotel in Bandra, sources said.
According to sources, the Shinde Sena is likely to demand the post of Mayor in India's richest municipal corporation, as it celebrates the centenary year of its founder, Bal Thackeray, as a befitting tribute on his 100th birthday on January 23.
However, discussions on the Mayor post cannot take place in any of the 29 municipalities until there is clarity on the reservations for each municipality's Mayor post.
In November 2025, the Supreme Court noted that in 40 Municipal Councils and 17 District Nagar Panchayats the OBC reservation has exceeded the fifty per cent ceiling, and stated that State Election Commission may take a call whether to continue or abstain from continuing the election process, as it would ultimately be subject to the further proceedings in the matter before a three-judge bench that the Court has listed for hearing in January 2026.