BMC Elections
- Past BMC Election Results
- Know your Booth Location
- Standing Committee Members
- BMC Elections 2017 Delimitation
- New Ward List Civic Elections 2025
- New Wards Maps for BMC Elections 2025
- BMC Election 2025 Date
- CEO Maharashtra
- Know Your BMC
- BMC News & Updates
- Wards
- Candidates
- Mumbai Corporators
- Advertise
- Contact
- Volunteer
- Privacy Policy
No alliance in sight: BJP and Sena may chart their own course in upcoming MMR elections!
- by Webdesk
- 29 Sep 2025
Source: Hindustan Times
Mumbai: Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis has so far avoided making a clear statement on whether the ruling Mahayuti partners will jointly contest the upcoming local body elections in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR). His silence has created speculation that the partners may face “friendly fights” against each other. The situation has become more complicated because of the differences between Shiv Sena leader and deputy CM Eknath Shinde and BJP minister Ganesh Naik.
While speaking to reporters during his visits to Delhi and later in Mumbai, Fadnavis only confirmed that the alliance will fight the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) polls together. However, he did not clarify anything about other important municipal corporations such as Thane, Navi Mumbai, and Kalyan-Dombivli. Party sources said that in these areas, the BJP will decide on seat-sharing based on local political conditions.
A senior BJP functionary explained, “In Mumbai the alliance will remain intact, but in other municipal corporations, discussions with local leaders will decide the formula. If we stick to a common alliance everywhere, there is a chance that some aspirants may defect or stand as independents, which will ultimately hurt BJP’s performance.”
State BJP president Ravindra Chavan has been working to expand the party’s presence in MMR for the past few months, and the leadership is preparing to strengthen the organization irrespective of whether the alliance works in every civic body.
In Thane district, the conflict between BJP and Sena is sharper. The Shiv Sena wants to keep its traditional hold in Thane, but BJP’s Ganesh Naik has been aggressively pushing the claim that his party can win the civic polls independently. He has been organizing janata darbars and speaking against the Sena leadership.
Thane BJP chief Sandeep Lele said that local leaders were not against an alliance but wanted a fair seat-sharing formula. “The BJP should get seats as per its vote share and performance in earlier assembly elections. We will follow the state leadership’s instructions, but if the decision-making power is given to the Thane BJP, we will discuss and decide what is in the party’s best interest,” Lele said.
Party insiders added that BJP’s strength in Thane has improved in the last few years, while the Shiv Sena has weakened after splitting into two groups, one led by Uddhav Thackeray and the other by Eknath Shinde. This has encouraged several BJP leaders to push for fighting the polls alone.
In Navi Mumbai, the issue has taken another turn. BJP leaders held a meeting in Vashi on Saturday to review the situation. Many former corporators and local leaders told Ganesh Naik that the party should contest alone in the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation polls. Some leaders also complained about Shinde’s functioning style. After this, it was decided that a delegation of Navi Mumbai BJP leaders would meet chief minister Fadnavis to demand that the party go solo in the polls.
On the other side, Shiv Sena spokesperson and MLC Manisha Kayande reacted to the BJP’s statements by saying that seat-sharing for civic polls depends on the strength of each party in that region and the local circumstances. “Every party wants to contest maximum seats, but the situation is not the same everywhere. The final decision will be taken by the state leadership of Mahayuti,” Kayande said. She also mentioned that Eknath Shinde will safeguard the interests of local Shiv Sena units.
The overall picture shows that while BJP and Shiv Sena may remain together in Mumbai’s BMC elections, in other MMR areas like Thane and Navi Mumbai there are increasing chances of both parties fighting separately. Both sides want to expand their presence and influence, which is making the alliance unstable at the local level.
For BJP, the challenge is to balance its growing organization and ambitions with the need to maintain unity in Mahayuti. For Shiv Sena, the priority is to protect its dominance in districts like Thane while handling competition from its own ally.
As election preparations move ahead, the question remains whether Mahayuti leaders will resolve their differences or whether the upcoming civic polls in the MMR will turn into a testing ground for the alliance itself.
Image Courtesy:
Related News
This article is based on publicly available information from credible sources (as mentioned above) and has been restructured using a combination of AI tools and manual editorial inputs to enhance clarity and readability. While we aim to maintain accuracy, there may be unintentional errors or misinterpretations. If you come across any incorrect or misleading information, please report it to us at info@bmcelections.com.
Copyright © 2026 All Rights Reserved | BMC Election