Silver Linings in Maharashtra civic polls as BJP dominates urban bodies, regional parties find strategic gains, while Sharad Pawar and Ajit Pawar’s NCP factions suffer major setbacks in key strongholds.
Qalam Times News Network
Mumbai | January 17, 2026
Silver Linings : BJP tightens its grip across urban Maharashtra, regional players find reasons to regroup, while Sharad Pawar and Ajit Pawar suffer setbacks in their traditional strongholds
Silver Linings emerged for almost every major political player in Maharashtra’s high-stakes municipal corporation elections—except the two factions of the Nationalist Congress Party. The polls, held across 29 civic bodies including the powerful Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, delivered a clear numerical edge to the Bharatiya Janata Party, but they also offered smaller victories and strategic comfort to several rivals. The biggest disappointment came for Sharad Pawar and Ajit Pawar, whose parties failed to reclaim control over Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad—areas long considered their political bastions.
The BJP stamped its authority by winning 1,425 of the 2,869 wards contested statewide, emerging as the single-largest force by a wide margin. Silver Linings for the party include its near-certain first mayor in Mumbai and decisive victories in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad, which strengthen its urban base. The performance has also boosted the standing of Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, under whose leadership the campaign was fought.
For Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray), the results offered symbolic reassurance. Although the party lost control of the BMC, Uddhav Thackeray demonstrated continued influence in Mumbai by winning 65 wards—more than double the tally of the rival Shinde faction. The victory in ward 13A in Thane, where Chief Minister Eknath Shinde resides, added to the moral boost.
The alliance also helped revive the fortunes of Maharashtra Navnirman Sena. Once considered politically marginal, the party secured six seats in the BMC, nearly matching its 2017 performance and reaffirming its relevance in Mumbai politics.
The Indian National Congress, contesting without its traditional allies, managed a respectable showing. With 324 wards across the state, it emerged as the third-largest party. Winning 25 seats in the BMC against both the BJP–Shiv Sena alliance and the Thackeray cousins’ combine has given the Congress a much-needed morale boost, even as vote fragmentation among minorities remains a concern.
For the Shinde-led Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde), the outcome was mixed. The party fell short of dislodging Uddhav Thackeray’s faction in Mumbai but secured close to 30 BMC seats—enough to position itself as a key power broker, since the BJP lacks an outright majority. Its commanding win in the Thane Municipal Corporation further strengthened Shinde’s negotiating leverage.
The civic polls also marked a significant rise for the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen. Winning 95 seats across 29 corporations, the party emerged as the preferred choice among Muslim voters, particularly in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and Malegaon, overtaking the Samajwadi Party’s influence in the state.
In contrast, the outlook for both NCP factions remains bleak. Despite a last-minute alliance, neither Sharad Pawar nor Ajit Pawar could regain control of Pune or Pimpri-Chinchwad. For Ajit Pawar—currently aligned with the BJP at the state level—the losses are especially damaging, weakening his political standing within the ruling coalition and raising fresh questions about his future strategy.
