Maharashtra local body polls: Mahayuti claims sweeping lead, BJP sees mandate for Fadnavis leadership

Jalna (Maharashtra) [India], December 21 (ANI): Even as the State Election Commission is yet to make an official announcement on the Maharashtra local body elections 2025, the ruling Mahayuti alliance on Sunday claimed a decisive lead, asserting that early trends point to a sweeping mandate in its favour across municipal councils and local bodies.
Ahead of the declaration of results, Maharashtra Minister and BJP state president Chandrashekhar Bawankule, speaking to the media in Jalna, said the Mahayuti, comprising the BJP, NCP, and Shiv Sena, was poised to win with a two-thirds majority and around a 51 per cent vote share.
"The people of Maharashtra are with the Mahayuti. They believe that only the Mahayuti government can bring development to the municipal, metropolitan, and district council areas," Bawankule said, adding that the vision of a developed Maharashtra belonged to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and the alliance government.
As counting progressed and trends emerged, senior leaders of the alliance said the results reflected growing acceptance of the Mahayuti's leadership. After the coalition claimed victory based on available trends,
Maharashtra Legislative Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar said the outcome indicated statewide endorsement of Chief Minister Fadnavis. "Under the leadership of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, the results of the municipal and city council elections announced today clearly show that his leadership has been accepted across the state," Narwekar said, noting that the BJP had secured a landslide lead, winning more than double the seats of other parties.
According to trends available till around 3 pm, BJP leaders said the party had emerged ahead in 129 municipal councils, compared to 94 in the 2017 elections. As a coalition, the Mahayuti led in 215 of the 288 municipal councils, representing nearly 75 per cent. In terms of corporator seats, the BJP claimed to have increased its tally from 1,602 in 2017 to 3,325 this time, while the Mahayuti alliance was leading in 4,331 of the 6,952 seats.
Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, reacting to the trends from Thane, thanked voters and party workers, saying the Mahayuti's performance followed its success in the Lok Sabha and Legislative Assembly elections. He said the Shiv Sena had emerged as the second-largest party in the state and rejected claims that it was limited to Thane, asserting that the party had expanded its footprint across Maharashtra. (ANI)