Local Body Elections: Is the first phase turning into a winning round for the ruling Mahayuti?

by Webdesk
01 Dec 2025

As the first phase of the local body elections approaches, the ruling Mahayuti alliance appears to be firmly steering the campaign narrative. Voting is scheduled on Tuesday for 246 municipal councils and 42 municipal panchayats that administer smaller cities across Maharashtra. The three-party coalition has launched an aggressive, loud and highly visible campaign across several regions, creating a widespread perception that the Opposition is struggling to match its presence on the ground.

In contrast, the MVA partners seem to be maintaining a noticeably restrained approach in this phase. For Uddhav Thackeray–led Shiv Sena (UBT), party insiders reveal that the leadership has deliberately kept the first phase low-priority, as the primary goal right now is to secure victory in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections expected in January. The Shiv Sena leadership is focusing on the final round of the local body polls, in which 29 major municipal corporations will vote — and most of their attention is geared toward the crucial Mumbai civic body.

Meanwhile, within Sharad Pawar’s NCP (SP), the leadership has allowed its district-level units to collaborate with any party of their choice, excluding the BJP. According to a senior party functionary, this flexibility has been provided not as a matter of ideological stance but as a strategy for local survival against the BJP’s organisational strength. The party has also adopted a “flexible alliance” policy regarding Ajit Pawar’s NCP across all three phases of the polls, a move now sparking conversations about the two factions gradually narrowing their distance.

The Congress, which is contesting more civic bodies than both of its MVA partners, has also maintained a subdued campaign thus far. State chief Harshvardhan Sapkal has been leading most of the canvassing efforts, while many senior leaders have been instructed to concentrate solely on their respective districts. Which strategy ultimately strikes a chord with the electorate will become clear on December 3. However, in terms of public messaging and perception, the Mahayuti bloc has clearly succeeded in gaining the upper hand over its rivals in the first round.

Amidst this, tensions within the ruling alliance are becoming more pronounced. BJP leaders have begun openly taking digs at Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, hinting that he has been relegated to the “number two” position in the government while Devendra Fadnavis holds true authority. At a rally in Sangli on Saturday, state BJP president Ravindra Chavan declared that Fadnavis is the central power in the administration, remarking pointedly that “number one matters — number two does not.” A day later, Fisheries Minister Nitesh Rane echoed the same sentiment, asserting that Fadnavis is the real decision-maker and that the second-in-command holds little weight. BJP’s comments intensified after Shinde urged voters in Palghar to “teach arrogant people a lesson.” Taking it further, BJP MLA Parinay Phuke openly challenged the Shinde-led Sena to exit the alliance if it wished to. The bickering between the allies appears to be escalating at a time when the coalition is preparing for crucial civic battles.

At the same time, Nashik is witnessing a growing environment-based controversy that is drawing parallels to Mumbai’s Aarey Colony protests. Citizens, activists and several opposition members are strongly objecting to the proposal to cut nearly 1,700 trees in the Tapovan green zone to build Sadhugram — a temporary housing site for sadhus attending the Simhastha Kumbh Mela in 2026-27. Spread across 300 acres, the project, overseen by the Nashik-Trimbakeshwar Kumbh Mela Authority (NTKMA), has drawn intense public backlash during hearings, and protest campaigns have taken over social media. However, Girish Mahajan — the state’s disaster management minister and the official in charge of the Kumbh Mela — has stood firm, insisting that the felling of trees is unavoidable. Many activists say that the situation mimics the Aarey episode — when trees were cut for the Mumbai Metro carshed despite massive citizen opposition — and are now questioning whether Tapovan will face the same fate or whether public resistance in Nashik will succeed in preventing the environmental loss.

In a separate development, senior NCP leader and state minister Chhagan Bhujbal, currently recovering in the hospital, addressed a rally from his bed through video conferencing in Yeola for the municipal council polls. With a drip attached to his arm and a nasal cannula on, a visibly exhausted Bhujbal still delivered a short speech broadcast on large screens at the venue, urging voters to support “those who have consistently worked for the city’s development.” His virtual appearance added a dramatic twist to the campaign trail, highlighting how high political stakes remain even amid personal health challenges.

Image Courtesy:

02 Jan 2026

BMC Elections

Local Body Elections: Is the first phase turning into a winning round for the ruling Mahayuti?

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