Early trends show the ruling BJP-led coalition well ahead of the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi in semi-urban and rural civic bodies. The Maharashtra civic polls, held after nearly a decade, are seen as a key test of grassroots political strength ahead of the 2026 BMC elections.
BY PC Bureau
December 21, 2025 | As counting progressed on Sunday for elections across 246 municipal councils and 42 nagar panchayats in Maharashtra, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) emerged with a commanding lead, putting the ruling Mahayuti alliance on course for a decisive victory in semi-urban and rural civic bodies.
Early trends showed the Mahayuti — comprising the BJP, the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, and the Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) — far ahead of the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), which includes the Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT), and the Sharad Pawar-led NCP faction.
The civic polls, held after a gap of nearly a decade due to delays linked to OBC reservation issues and prolonged legal challenges, were conducted in two phases on December 2 and December 20. Counting began at 10 am on Sunday, covering about 6,859 seats across the state.
The elections are being seen as a key test of political strength at the grassroots level, coming barely a year after the Mahayuti’s sweeping victory in the 2024 Maharashtra Assembly elections.
🚨 Maharashtra Local Body Election Results
Mayors (288/288):
👉 Mahayuti: 220
— BJP: 126
— Shiv Sena: 61
— NCP: 33👉 MVA: 47
— Congress: 32
— Shiv Sena (UBT): 08
— NCP (SP): 07👉 Others: 21
👉 MNS: 0— Absolute domination by BJP-led Mahayuti across Maharashtra 🔥 pic.twitter.com/4kYRx7eZH2
— Megh Updates 🚨™ (@MeghUpdates) December 21, 2025
Key Trends and Party Performance
The BJP is leading decisively, with reports indicating it is ahead in more than 100 municipal council president posts and a substantial share of councillor seats.
Overall, the Mahayuti alliance is leading in around 192 local bodies in early counts. Of these, the BJP accounts for approximately 107 councils, followed by the Shiv Sena with about 48 and the NCP close behind.
In contrast, the MVA is trailing, with leads in roughly 46 local bodies.
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Several BJP candidates were elected unopposed even before counting began, including in prominent councils such as Dondaicha–Varwade in Dhule district, Jamner in Jalgaon, and Angar Nagar Panchayat in Solapur.
Voter turnout was moderate, with 67.3 per cent participation recorded in the first phase. Turnout dipped in the second phase, which covered constituencies where polls had earlier been delayed.
Initial seat-level data — showing the BJP leading in more than 3,100 of the 6,859 seats — broadly aligns with the council-level trends, underlining the ruling alliance’s dominance.
Campaign Dynamics and Political Context
The outcome appears to reflect the Mahayuti’s aggressive campaign strategy. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy Chief Ministers Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar led extensive outreach efforts, addressing rallies across districts and mobilising the party cadre even in remote areas.
The opposition, by contrast, struggled to convert public discontent over agrarian distress, delays in welfare payouts, and concerns over financial assistance schemes into electoral gains. While the Congress mounted visible campaigns in parts of Vidarbha and Marathwada, allies Shiv Sena (UBT) and NCP (Sharad Pawar faction) faced criticism for limited on-ground engagement beyond their traditional strongholds.
The Mahayuti campaign was not without internal strains. “Friendly contests” between alliance partners were reported in several seats, and tensions surfaced publicly, including accusations of heavy-handed tactics and references to “alliance dharma” by Shiv Sena leaders. However, these frictions did little to blunt the coalition’s overall momentum.
Significance Ahead of BMC Polls
The civic results assume added significance ahead of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections, scheduled for January 15, 2026, with counting on January 16. The BMC, India’s wealthiest civic body, has been under administrator rule since 2022.
A strong performance by the Mahayuti in these local body elections is expected to boost its confidence going into the high-stakes Mumbai contest, where alliance negotiations and seat-sharing are likely to be closely fought.
Taken together, the trends reinforce the BJP-led Mahayuti’s continued dominance in Maharashtra’s political landscape, extending the momentum of its 2024 Assembly win and posing fresh challenges for a fragmented opposition. Final results are expected by evening and could mark another significant milestone for the ruling coalition.
