The BJP and its allies have managed to win on its own or with its allies 25 of the 29 municipal corporations, including Mumbai, Nagpur, Pune, Pimpri-Chinchwad, Kalyan Dombivali, Nashik, Thane, Navi Mumbai, VasaiVirar, Mira Bhayander. BJP is also leading in Ulhasnagar.
The trends show that the electorate in the urban bodies preferred to go with BJP. Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis credited the win to the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the development plank of the BJP and exhorted the party workers and the candidates who won to remain humble even in victory.
One of the key wins for the BJP is the Mumbai Municipal Corporation where it managed to come to power with the Shiv Sena (Shinde) in an alliance, trouncing the UBT Sena and the MNS. The BJP broke the nearly threedecade-old dominance of the undivided Shiv Sena and emerged as the single largest party in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections.
The result marks a significant shift in Mumbai’s power structure. The BJP’s performance has been remarkable as it not just managed to defeat the UBT Sena in Mumbai but has also managed to hold onto Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporations where it was battling its ally, the NCP (Ajit), who had aligned with the NCP (SP). The Congress has managed to retain its hold in Latur, while getting more seats than the BJP in Bhiwandi and in Kolhapur. The party also performed well to win in Chandrapur which was considered the BJP’s bastion
The elections are not just significant because of the BJP’s performance and the Opposition being increasingly relegated in the civic elections but also the AIMIM’s performance. The AIMIM has come to power in the Malegaon civic body and has won 95 seats in 26 municipal corporations. AIMIM has eaten into the support base of Congress as well
