As counting gathers pace across Maharashtra, early trends from civic body elections are beginning to paint a clearer political picture. From Aurangabad region to Vidarbha and Konkan, leads and wins across municipal councils and nagar panchayats are keeping party workers, candidates and voters on edge.
Early Leads from Key Constituencies
Initial results from several towns show a competitive mix of parties pulling ahead. In Sillod, Shiv Sena candidate Sameer Sattar has taken an early lead, while Sheikh Fareen of the Congress is ahead in Kannad. Over in Paithan, Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray (UBT) faction candidate Aparna Gorde is leading in the early rounds.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has also made strong inroads. BJP candidates Pradeep Patil (Gangapur) and Parshuram Bargal (Khuldabad) are leading, while Dinesh Pardeshi is ahead in Vaijapur based on postal ballots. In Phulambri, Suhas Shirsat has emerged as the frontrunner for the party.
Counting Day Begins Amid Controversy
Before counting could formally begin, tensions flared at multiple centres. The Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) flagged alleged procedural irregularities, with mayoral candidate Bhavana Ghanekar formally objecting to an incident involving unauthorised access.
MVA leaders questioned the presence of a contractor inside a strong room, alleging he entered the secured area carrying breakfast. The incident triggered sharp protests, raising concerns over election protocols.
Tension at Uran Counting Centre
A similar flashpoint emerged at the Uran Municipal Council counting centre near Navi Mumbai. Even before trends were announced, unrest broke out after a contractor was reportedly seen entering the strong room ahead of counting, further fuelling allegations of lapses.
11 am Snapshot: Mahayuti Dominates Early Trends
As of the latest update, the ruling Mahayuti alliance has built a commanding early lead across civic bodies.
Overall leads:
- Mahayuti: Leading in 192 local bodies
- Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA): Leading in 46
- Local fronts: Leading in 16
Within the Mahayuti:
- BJP: Ahead in 107 bodies
- Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde faction): Leading in 48
- Nationalist Congress Party (Ajit Pawar faction): Contributing several seats to the alliance tally
Race for Council and Nagar Panchayat Presidents
Presidents of municipal councils and nagar panchayats in Maharashtra are elected directly by voters, making these contests closely watched.
Early trends for the 288 president posts show:
- BJP: Leading in 51
- Shiv Sena (Shinde): 22
- NCP (Ajit Pawar): 13
- Congress: 6
Counting is currently underway in 253 of the 288 municipal councils and nagar panchayats.
Mixed Results from Nagpur, Dhule and Jalgaon
Across districts, outcomes remain varied. In Nagpur, the BJP has won the Vanadongari City Council and is leading in Kamathi, while the Shiv Sena is ahead in Eat and Ramtek councils.
In Dhule, the BJP has secured a win in the Dondaicha–Varwade City Council, while in Jalgaon, the party is leading in the Jamner City Council.
Badlapur Kulgaon: BJP Candidate Takes Clear Lead
In the Badlapur Kulgaon Municipal Council presidential race, BJP’s Ruchita Ghorpade is leading with 6,878 votes. She is followed by Veena Mhatre of the Shinde-led Shiv Sena with 5,087 votes. UBT candidate Priya Gawli and Independent Sangeeta Chendavankar trail behind.
What We Know So Far
With counting still in progress, the Mahayuti has emerged with an early advantage, leading in 192 local bodies statewide. The BJP remains the single largest party in the trends so far, followed by the Shinde-led Shiv Sena. The MVA, meanwhile, is ahead in 46 bodies, as results continue to trickle in.
Ajit Pawar’s NCP Shows Strength in Jejuri
In Jejuri, Ajit Pawar’s NCP has taken the lead in 17 seats in the initial round of counting. Mayoral candidate Jaideep Dilip is also leading comfortably against BJP’s Sachon Sonawane.
A Look Back at Previous Civic Polls
Sharing data from earlier elections, BJP state spokesperson Keshav Upadhye noted that 246 municipal councils and 42 municipal panchayats together accounted for 5,739 members. The previous party-wise tally showed the BJP with the highest number of members, followed by Congress, NCP and Shiv Sena.
Unopposed Wins and Alliance Face-offs
According to PTI, members and presidents of the Dondaicha Municipal Council in Dhule and Angar Nagar Panchayat in Solapur were elected unopposed. The Jamner municipal president’s post also saw a no-contest outcome.
Interestingly, in several areas, alliance partners within the ruling Mahayuti — BJP, Shinde-led Shiv Sena and Ajit Pawar’s NCP — are contesting against each other, adding another layer of intrigue.
‘Won’t Make Any Difference’: BJP Minister’s Claim
Reacting to the trends, Maharashtra minister Chandrakant Patil said organisational strength and public support have put the BJP far ahead. Even if opposition leaders were to unite, he claimed, it would not alter the outcome of the civic polls, PTI reported.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: abplive.com
