Early trends from the Maharashtra civic elections on Sunday showed the ruling Mahayuti holding a clear advantage, leading in 214 of the local bodies where counting is underway. The Bharatiya Janata Party was ahead in 118 bodies, followed by the Shiv Sena in 59 and the Nationalist Congress Party in 37.
The Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi was leading in 49 bodies, with the Indian National Congress ahead in 32.
Counting is in progress in 253 of the 288 municipal councils and nagar panchayats, with results from the remaining bodies awaited. The BJP has already secured three bodies unopposed, with councillors and presidents elected without contest in Dondaicha Municipal Council in Dhule, Angar Nagar Panchayat in Solapur, and the Jammer municipal president poll.
The trends indicate a strong early showing for the Mahayuti in the two-phase civic elections held on December 2 and December 21, seen as a key test of grassroots strength for both the ruling alliance and the Opposition.
The contest was marked by complex local dynamics, including “friendly fights” in several towns where alliance partners-BJP, the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena and Ajit Pawar’s NCP-fielded candidates against one another.
Sunday’s counting also sets the stage for the next major political battle, with the State Election Commission announcing polls to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation and 28 other municipal corporations on January 15. Votes will be counted on January 16, with 2,869 seats at stake and over 3.48 crore voters eligible to cast their ballots.
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