The BJP-Shiv Sena combine swept civic body polls across Maharashtra on Friday — winning 1,425 out of 2,869 seats in 29 municipal corporations. The newly allied Thackeray front lost control of the cash-rich Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation for the first time in 25 years as the ruling coalition narrowly crossed the majority mark with 117 seats.
The “united” Pawars were also left stunned in Pune after a tie-up between the rival NCP factions failed to inspire voters.
“This battle is not over yet… It will continue just like this until the Marathi person receives the respect they deserve!” the Shiv Sena (UBT) wrote on X while sharing a photo of Balasaheb Thackeray.
“This election was not an easy one. It was a battle of unyielding financial power and the might of authority against Shivshakti. Yet, even in such a contest, the workers from both sides put up an excellent fight. Their praise cannot be enough. Though Maharashtra Navnirman Sena did not achieve the expected success this time, and that brings sorrow, we are not the ones to get disheartened by it,” began a lengthy missive from Raj Thackeray in Marathi.
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According to the final tally, the BJP won 1,425 of the 2,869 seats up for grabs while the Shiv Sena secured 399. The Ajit Pawar-led NCP had contested the polls solo despite being part of the ruling coalition and secured 167 seats. The Thackeray front (comprising Shiv Sena (UBT) and the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena) won a cumulative 168 seats. The Congress secured 324, the 155, NCP (SP) 36, and the BSP six.
‘Our fight is for the Marathi people’
The MNS could secure a total of 13 seats as votes were counted on Friday. It failed to win any seats in 22 cities like Pune, Nagpur and Nashik despite heavy campaigning in strongholds. Raj Thackeray however insisted that the fight would continue and issued a clarion call for the party to be “rebuilt” for the future. The MNS chief also said that party leaders and allies would come together to analyse what had gone wrong in the polls.
“Our fight is for the Marathi people, the Marathi language, Marathi identity, and for a prosperous Maharashtra. This fight is our very existence. You all know well that such battles are long-term,” he wrote on X.
“Whether in the MMR region or across the state, those in power and their supporters will not let go of any opportunity to harass the Marathi people. Therefore, we must stand firmly behind our Marathi people. Elections will come and go, but we must never forget that our breath is Marathi,” he added.
Ajit Pawar meets Sharad Pawar
The rival factions of NCP also fared poorly in the polls. The Ajit Pawar-led NCP won a total of 167 seats, while the Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP) could get only 36 wards. The two leaders had subsequently met for talks in Baramati — sparking fresh buzz about a reconciliation. The two groups had contested some of the municipal corporations under a joint manifesto despite remaining on Opposite sides of the state government.
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