Deputy Chief Minister and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Ajit Pawar on Friday accepted the verdict of the recently concluded municipal corporation elections in Maharashtra, stating that the public’s mandate must be respected above all else.

Following near-clear results in the 29 municipal corporations across the state, Pawar took to social media to formally acknowledge the party’s poor performance in several major urban centres. He said the outcome reflected the will of the people and congratulated all winning candidates.

“The public’s mandate is supreme, and we accept it with complete respect. I heartily congratulate all the winning candidates and wish them success in their upcoming terms,” Pawar said.

Ajit Pawar promises renewed effort after losses

Addressing the party’s inability to achieve the expected results, the NCP leader said his faction would introspect and work harder to regain the confidence of voters.

“In this local body election, where we did not achieve the expected success, I assure you that we will work with more responsibility, honesty and double the vigour to regain the public’s trust,” he said.

He also urged newly elected representatives to focus on public issues and speed up development work. At the same time, Pawar encouraged party workers and candidates who lost the elections to remain committed to public service, underlining that serving citizens should remain the central objective.

Setback in traditional strongholds

The civic poll results have been viewed as a significant setback for Ajit Pawar, particularly in western Maharashtra. Despite choosing to contest independently in several areas—separate from Mahayuti partners BJP and the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena—to demonstrate the strength of his faction, the NCP suffered major losses in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad.

Both municipal corporations, long regarded as strongholds of the Pawar family, witnessed a decisive lead and victory for the BJP, leaving Ajit Pawar’s faction trailing in third or fourth position.

In Mumbai and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, the party struggled to make an impact, failing to secure even double-digit seats in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation.

Political observers believe the strategy of “friendly contests” against the BJP did not yield the desired outcome. The results indicate that the traditional Pawar support base may have split between Ajit Pawar and his uncle Sharad Pawar’s faction, indirectly benefiting the BJP.

The outcome of the 2026 civic polls is being seen as an important signal ahead of the 2029 Maharashtra Assembly elections, pointing to shifting political equations within the ruling alliance.

The BJP-led alliance is on course to secure control of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), ending over two decades of dominance by the Thackeray family, according to early trends from the civic body election results announced on Friday.

As counting continues, the BJP and the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena alliance is leading in 117 wards, crossing the majority mark of 114 in the 227-member BMC. The BJP alone is ahead in 88 wards, while the Shinde faction of the Shiv Sena is leading in 29.

In contrast, the Thackeray cousins are trailing with leads in 70 wards. Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena (UBT) is ahead in 64 wards, while Raj Thackeray’s Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) is leading in six.

High-stakes BMC election after long delay

The BMC elections were held after a nine-year gap, following a delay of nearly four years. A total of 1,700 candidates contested the Mumbai civic polls, making it one of the most closely watched municipal elections in the country.

With an annual budget exceeding Rs 74,400 crore, the BMC is India’s richest civic body and plays a crucial role in governing Mumbai’s infrastructure, health services, and urban development.

In the 2017 elections, the then-undivided Shiv Sena, which included the Eknath Shinde faction, had retained control of the civic body.

BJP leads across Maharashtra municipal corporations

The broader picture across 29 municipal corporations in Maharashtra also favours the BJP-led front. Statewide trends show the BJP leading in 1,427 wards, while its ally, the Shinde-led Shiv Sena, is ahead in 403 wards.

The Congress is placed third with leads in 317 seats, with strong performances in areas such as Bhiwandi-Nizampur, Nagpur, and Kolhapur. Ajit Pawar’s Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) is leading in 165 wards, followed by Shiv Sena (UBT) with 157.

Pune results reinforce BJP dominance

In Pune, another key battleground, the BJP has emerged as the clear frontrunner. The party is leading in 123 of 165 seats, while the combined factions of the NCP — led by Ajit Pawar and Sharad Pawar — are together ahead in 24 seats.

Voting details

Polling was held for 2,869 seats across 893 wards in the 29 civic bodies on Thursday. A voter turnout of 52.94% was recorded, with 15,931 candidates in the fray statewide.

Apart from Mumbai and Pune, counting is underway in municipal corporations including Navi Mumbai, Thane, Vasai-Virar, Kalyan-Dombivli, Nagpur, Nashik, Pimpri-Chinchwad, Mira-Bhayandar, Bhiwandi-Nizampur, Solapur, Amravati, Akola, Kolhapur, and several others.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday thanked the people of Maharashtra after the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance registered a landmark victory in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation elections, marking the first time the party has emerged on top in the country’s richest civic body.

In a post on X, the prime minister said the people of the state had endorsed the NDA’s agenda of governance and development. He said the results of municipal corporation elections across Maharashtra showed that the alliance’s bond with voters had further strengthened.

According to PM Modi, the NDA’s track record and vision for development had “struck a chord” with the electorate. He described the verdict as a mandate to accelerate progress while celebrating Maharashtra’s cultural legacy.

BJP-Shiv Sena alliance dominates BMC

As counting continued, trends showed the BJP leading in 90 of the 227 wards in Mumbai, while the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena was ahead in 28 wards. The Ajit Pawar-led NCP faction, which contested separately, was leading in only three wards.

On the opposition side, the Shiv Sena (UBT) and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena were ahead in 57 and nine wards respectively. The Congress, which contested in alliance with the Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi, was leading in 15 wards, while others were ahead in eight.

The outcome effectively ends the Shiv Sena (UBT)’s decades-long control over the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, which had been the party’s main power centre since its formation.

In the seat distribution, the BJP contested 137 wards and the Shinde-led Shiv Sena 90. The Ajit Pawar faction of the NCP fielded candidates in 94 wards. On the opposition side, Shiv Sena (UBT) contested 163 seats, the MNS 52, the Congress 143, and the Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi 46.

Urban verdict weakens Pawar influence

The results in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad also sent a strong political message, indicating that the Pawar brand no longer guarantees success in key urban centres. Despite tactical coordination between the two NCP factions led by Sharad Pawar and Ajit Pawar, voters did not consolidate behind them.

In the Pune Municipal Corporation, the BJP emerged with a clear upper hand, either winning or leading in a significant number of wards. The NCP factions failed to convert their traditional influence into broader citywide support.

Thackeray retains Marathi Manoos connect but loses power base

Uddhav Thackeray appears to have retained a section of the Marathi Manoos vote in Mumbai, even as the Shinde-led Shiv Sena made inroads. While the Shiv Sena (UBT) managed a respectable showing in its traditional strongholds, the loss of control over the BMC is seen as a major setback.

Control of the civic body had long been central to the party’s political identity and a key factor in its alliances.

Devendra Fadnavis emerges as key strategist

Much of the credit for the BJP’s sweeping civic success is being attributed to Devendra Fadnavis. Under his leadership, the Mahayuti alliance has carried forward its assembly election momentum into municipal politics.

The results are being seen as reinforcing Fadnavis’s political standing, demonstrating that even combined opposition forces could not halt the BJP’s rise. The verdict has also challenged the long-held claim of the Thackeray family over Marathi votes in Mumbai.