Mumbai | December 21, 2025

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has emerged as the single largest party in the Maharashtra municipal council and nagar panchayat elections, taking a decisive lead in the counting of votes that began on Sunday morning. The results so far show the BJP well ahead of its alliance partners and the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), marking a significant moment in the state’s local political landscape.

According to trends available till Sunday afternoon, the BJP is leading in 127 out of the 288 municipal councils and nagar panchayats where elections were held. Alliance partner Shiv Sena is leading in 53 councils, while the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) is ahead in 32. Together, the ruling Mahayuti alliance is leading in 212 urban local bodies, indicating a strong mandate from voters across the state.

In contrast, the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi has delivered a weak performance. The alliance is leading in only 53 municipal councils and nagar panchayats. Within the MVA, the Congress is ahead in 36 councils, the Shiv Sena (UBT) in nine, and the Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP) in eight. Political observers see this outcome as a setback for the Opposition, especially in urban areas where local governance plays a crucial role.

Celebrations broke out at the BJP office in Mumbai as early trends confirmed the party’s strong showing. Senior BJP leader Praveen Darekar said the results matched the party’s expectations. He stated that the BJP had been confident from the start about winning more than half of the seats and added that the outcome reflected public trust in Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis in Maharashtra and Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Centre.

Darekar also said that the results would give a major boost to party workers ahead of the upcoming elections to 29 municipal corporations, including the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), which are scheduled for January 15. He added that the local body results would energise the organisation and encourage workers to intensify preparations for the next electoral challenge.

The counting of votes began at 10 am on Sunday for 286 municipal councils and nagar panchayats across the state. These included councils that went to polls in the first phase on December 2, as well as those where voting was held on December 20. The State Election Commission (SEC) had initially announced that polling would be conducted in a single phase, but it was later split into two phases for administrative reasons.

According to data released by the SEC, voter participation remained healthy in the first phase, with an average turnout of 67.63 per cent across 263 municipal councils and nagar panchayats. This indicated strong public engagement in local governance issues, despite the elections receiving less attention than state or national polls.

Among all the councils, Murgud municipal council in Kolhapur district recorded the highest voter turnout at 88.43 per cent, reflecting high local interest in civic leadership. On the other hand, Besa Pipla in Nagpur district reported the lowest turnout at 51.33 per cent.

Political analysts say the results underline the BJP’s organisational strength at the grassroots level and its ability to mobilise voters in local elections. The poor performance of the MVA, they add, may trigger internal reviews within the Opposition camp as it prepares for future electoral battles in the state.

As counting continues, the final results are expected to shape political strategies ahead of the crucial municipal corporation polls next month, with all parties closely watching voter trends and regional patterns emerging from these local body 

 BJP Takes Clear Lead in Maharashtra Local Body Elections, Emerges as Top Party Across Urban Councils

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has emerged as the number one party in the Maharashtra municipal council and nagar panchayat elections, as counting began on Sunday morning. Early trends show the BJP leading in 127 out of 288 municipal councils and nagar panchayats, placing it well ahead of both its alliance partners and the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA).

As per the latest figures, alliance partner Shiv Sena is leading in 53 councils, while the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) is ahead in 32. Together, the ruling Mahayuti alliance is leading in 212 urban local bodies, indicating strong public support for the coalition across the state.

In contrast, the Opposition MVA has performed poorly, leading in only 53 councils in total. Within the alliance, the Congress is ahead in 36 councils, the Shiv Sena (UBT) in nine, and the Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP) in eight. The results have been seen as a setback for the Opposition, especially in urban areas where local governance issues matter the most.

Celebrations were seen at the BJP office in Mumbai as trends became clear. BJP leader Praveen Darekar said the party was confident from the beginning of securing more than 50 per cent of the seats. He added that the outcome reflects people’s trust in Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis in Maharashtra and Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Centre.

The counting of votes began at 10 am for 286 municipal councils and nagar panchayats across the state. Voting for these bodies was held in two phases, on December 2 and December 20, after the State Election Commission revised its initial plan of single-phase polling.

Voter turnout in the first phase stood at 67.63 per cent. Murgud in Kolhapur recorded the highest turnout at 88.43 per cent, while Besa Pipla in Nagpur saw the lowest at 51.33 per cent. The results are expected to shape strategies ahead of the municipal corporation elections, including the BMC polls scheduled for January 15.