Maharashtra’s Civic Verdict: Power Consolidation Amid Democratic Concerns |
The results of the local body elections across Maharashtra are broadly in line with expectations, with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) emerging as the dominant force in municipal councils and nagar panchayats across the state. However, the outcome does not capture the full complexity of Maharashtra’s evolving political landscape.
The BJP-led Mahayuti—comprising the BJP, the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, and the Ajit Pawar faction of the Nationalist Congress Party—secured 207 of the 288 municipal council president posts. In contrast, the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), comprising the Congress, the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena and Sharad Pawar’s NCP, managed to win 44 such positions.
Within the ruling alliance, the BJP clearly outperformed its partners, winning close to 120........