BMC Elections: BJP Wins Big, Thackerays Lose After 30 Years
The BJP-Shinde alliance won a decisive victory in Maharashtra’s 2026 local body elections, ending nearly 30 years of Shiv Sena (UBT) control in Mumbai’s BMC.
The Maharashtra local body elections held on 15 January 2026 were among the most significant political events in the state in recent years. Elections took place in 29 municipal corporations, including major cities like Mumbai, Pune, Thane, Nashik, Nagpur, Pimpri Chinchwad, and Navi Mumbai, with a total of 2,869 seats up for grabs.
The BJP emerged as the single largest party, winning 1,425 seats across the state. The main focus was the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), Asia’s richest civic body with an annual budget of ?74,427 crore. For nearly 30 years, the Shiv Sena (UBT) controlled the BMC, making it a symbol of the Thackeray family’s influence in Mumbai. However, this year, the BJP-Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde) alliance, known as the Mahayuti, won a clear majority. The BJP secured 89 BMC seats, while Shinde’s Sena won 29, comfortably crossing the majority mark. Shiv Sena (UBT) won 65 seats, MNS 6, and the remaining were shared among Congress and smaller parties.
The main reason for Shiv Sena’s loss was the party's split in 2022. Uddhav Thackeray led one faction, while Eknath Shinde joined hands with the BJP. This divided voter support and benefited the BJP, which ran a strong campaign focusing on development, governance, and urban issues rather than traditional local politics.
Similar trends were seen in other cities. In Pune, the BJP won 119 out of 165 seats, dealing a heavy blow to the NCP and opposition parties. Across Maharashtra, the Mahayuti alliance dominated municipal elections, while Congress and both NCP factions (Sharad Pawar and Ajit Pawar) struggled. AIMIM won a few seats in cities with large Muslim populations but had little overall impact.
With the results out, attention has now shifted to the BMC mayoral race. Reports say Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has called all newly elected corporators to the Taj Lands End hotel in Bandra for three days to discuss power-sharing and BMC leadership, similar to his strategy with MLAs in 2022.
The BJP-Shinde alliance’s strong performance marks a major shift in Maharashtra’s urban politics, ending nearly three decades of Thackeray-led Shiv Sena dominance in Mumbai.
