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.

The BJP-led alliance is heading towards a decisive victory in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections, dealing a major blow to the Thackeray cousins’ long-standing control over Mumbai’s civic administration. Early trends from the ongoing vote count show the ruling alliance opening a clear lead in the country’s richest municipal body.

With results still being tallied, the BJP-led bloc is ahead in 115 wards of the BMC. Of these, the BJP is leading in 86 wards, while Chief Minister Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena has an edge in 29 wards.

In contrast, the Thackeray cousins appear to be struggling to retain their grip on the civic body they once dominated for decades. Together, they are leading in 77 wards, with Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena (UBT) ahead in 71 wards and Raj Thackeray’s Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) leading in six.

High-stakes election after nine-year gap

The BMC elections were held after a nine-year gap, following a four-year delay, making the contest one of the most closely watched civic polls in Maharashtra. Over 1,700 candidates were in the fray for 227 seats in Mumbai alone. The BMC’s annual budget exceeds Rs 74,400 crore, underscoring the political and financial significance of the results.

In the 2017 elections, the undivided Shiv Sena, which then included Eknath Shinde, had retained control of the BMC, continuing its decades-long dominance.

BJP ahead across Maharashtra civic bodies

The BJP’s strong showing is not limited to Mumbai. Across 29 municipal corporations in Maharashtra, early trends indicate that the party is leading overall. Combined figures show the BJP ahead in 909 wards, while its ally, the Shinde-led Shiv Sena, is leading in 237 wards.

In the party-wise standings, the Congress is placed third with leads in 179 seats, largely from Bhiwandi-Nizampur, Nagpur and Kolhapur. The Shiv Sena (UBT) follows with 118 seats, closely trailed by Ajit Pawar’s NCP, which is leading in 112 wards.

Pune also tilts towards BJP

Pune has emerged as another key battleground, especially as rival factions of the Nationalist Congress Party, led by Ajit Pawar and Sharad Pawar, joined hands for the civic polls. Despite the alliance, the BJP is leading in 52 seats in Pune, while the combined NCP factions are ahead in seven seats.

Large-scale polling across the state

Polling for 2,869 seats across 893 wards in the 29 civic bodies was held on Thursday. Around 3.48 crore voters were eligible to cast their ballots, deciding the political fate of 15,931 candidates, including those contesting in Mumbai.

Besides Mumbai and Pune, counting is underway in several other municipal corporations, including Navi Mumbai, Thane, Kalyan-Dombivli, Nagpur, Nashik, Pimpri-Chinchwad, Vasai-Virar, Mira-Bhayandar, Solapur, Kolhapur and Aurangabad, among others.