AA Edit | In Maharashtra, Power Balance Shifts Further

The outcome of the December 2025 Municipal Councils and Nagar Panchayats elections in Maharashtra is more than a routine mid-course report card. It has marked a tectonic shift in the state’s political landscape. Across 246 Municipal Councils and 42 Nagar Panchayats, the ruling Mahayuti alliance — comprising the BJP, the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, and the Ajit Pawar-led NCP — delivered a sweeping performance, despite contesting separately in several places and often battling intense internal rivalries.

This decisive mandate stemmed from a high-octane campaign orchestrated by the state’s top leadership. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, deputy chief ministers Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar campaigned extensively, throwing their full political weight behind their respective party candidates. The trio left no stone unturned, mobilising resources and addressing rallies to ensure their grassroots presence was felt. Conversely, the Opposition’s key leaders, Sharad Pawar and Uddhav Thackeray, remained notably absent from the campaign trail.

Following their defeat in the last Assembly elections, the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) appears deeply demoralised and adrift. The sense of inertia is reflected in a steady exodus of leaders to the ruling camp, coupled with a visible loss of combative spirit — both on the floor of the Legislature and at the grassroots. Despite holding the power to challenge the government, the Opposition has repeatedly failed to assert itself.

The December 20 results further underline this shift in the balance of power. Mr Shinde securing 53 posts of Council presidents against Uddhav Thackeray’s nine reinforces his claim as the primary inheritor of the Shiv Sena legacy. Similarly, Ajit Pawar’s 37 posts dwarfed the seven secured by Sharad Pawar’s NCP (SP). Meanwhile, the Maharashtra Congress continues to drift, trapped in a leadership vacuum and desperately scouting for new alliances to arrest its decline.

This does not mean the older leadership is finished. Maharashtra’s political history is replete with examples of dramatic comebacks. Yet, these figures underline a shifting political reality. Ideological legacy and emotional appeal are proving increasingly inadequate when pitted against the Mahayuti’s organisational machinery and electoral planning. Power is evidently gravitating towards leaders who are not merely heirs to a political inheritance, but those who actively invest in organisation and the hard grind of contemporary politics.

Currently, Uddhav is focused on defending the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) — the nation’s wealthiest civic body with a Rs 75,000 crore annual budget. To ensure survival, he is expected to formalise a pact with estranged cousin Raj Thackeray. The alliance between the Thackeray cousins is no longer a sentimental reunion — it is a survival pact. If they fail to win back Mumbai in 2026, it will be a severe blow to their self-proclaimed “brand Thackeray”.

As Maharashtra prepares for the January 15 municipal corporation polls, the December 20 results serve as a formidable “semi-final” victory for the Mahayuti. The BJP, having emerged as the single largest party with 120 Council president posts, enters the race for the BMC and other municipal corporations with immense momentum. For the fragmented Opposition, the challenge is no longer just about defeating the BJP; it is a battle to remain relevant in Maharashtra’s political landscape.