The BJP-led alliance is on course for a sweeping victory in Maharashtra’s high-stakes civic body elections, with early trends indicating that the Thackeray family’s decades-long dominance over Mumbai’s Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is nearing an end. As counting continues across 29 municipal corporations, the ruling combine appears firmly in control of the narrative.

In Mumbai, the country’s richest civic body with an annual budget exceeding Rs 74,400 crore, the BJP–Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde faction) alliance has surged ahead. The BJP is leading in 84 wards, while Shinde’s Shiv Sena is ahead in 26, taking the alliance’s total to 110 wards. In contrast, the Thackeray cousins are trailing, with Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena (UBT) leading in 72 wards and Raj Thackeray’s Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) ahead in just 11. The results signal a decisive erosion of the Thackerays’ grip over the BMC, which they had controlled for 25 years.

The broader statewide picture mirrors Mumbai’s trend. Across 29 municipal corporations, the BJP is leading in around 1,390 wards, with ally Shiv Sena (Shinde) ahead in 364. The Congress stands a distant third with leads in 307 wards, drawing strength from cities such as Bhiwandi-Nizampur, Nagpur and Kolhapur. Shiv Sena (UBT) follows with 166 seats, while Ajit Pawar’s NCP is ahead in 151.

Pune has also emerged as a key battleground, where rival NCP factions led by Ajit Pawar and Sharad Pawar joined hands. Even there, the BJP has taken a commanding lead, heading in 111 seats, while the combined NCP factions lag far behind.

Polling was held for 2,869 seats across 893 wards, with a turnout of 52.94 percent. The results underscore a major political realignment in Maharashtra’s urban landscape.

The BJP-led alliance is on course for a sweeping victory in Maharashtra’s high-stakes civic body elections, with early trends indicating that the Thackeray family’s decades-long dominance over Mumbai’s Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is nearing an end. As counting continues across 29 municipal corporations, the ruling combine appears firmly in control of the narrative.

In Mumbai, the country’s richest civic body with an annual budget exceeding Rs 74,400 crore, the BJP–Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde faction) alliance has surged ahead. The BJP is leading in 84 wards, while Shinde’s Shiv Sena is ahead in 26, taking the alliance’s total to 110 wards. In contrast, the Thackeray cousins are trailing, with Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena (UBT) leading in 72 wards and Raj Thackeray’s Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) ahead in just 11. The results signal a decisive erosion of the Thackerays’ grip over the BMC, which they had controlled for 25 years.

The broader statewide picture mirrors Mumbai’s trend. Across 29 municipal corporations, the BJP is leading in around 1,390 wards, with ally Shiv Sena (Shinde) ahead in 364. The Congress stands a distant third with leads in 307 wards, drawing strength from cities such as Bhiwandi-Nizampur, Nagpur and Kolhapur. Shiv Sena (UBT) follows with 166 seats, while Ajit Pawar’s NCP is ahead in 151.

Pune has also emerged as a key battleground, where rival NCP factions led by Ajit Pawar and Sharad Pawar joined hands. Even there, the BJP has taken a commanding lead, heading in 111 seats, while the combined NCP factions lag far behind.

Polling was held for 2,869 seats across 893 wards, with a turnout of 52.94 percent. The results underscore a major political realignment in Maharashtra’s urban landscape.