The outcome of Maharashtra’s direct mayoral elections has delivered a clear political message: while the ruling Mahayuti alliance remains dominant across urban local bodies, the Bharatiya Janata Party
has firmly emerged as its principal force. The results also expose the uneven organisational strength of its allies — the Shiv Sena led by Eknath Shinde and the Nationalist Congress Party led by Ajit Pawar.
Of the 207 mayors elected across the state, a large majority belong to parties aligned with the Mahayuti. Yet, district-wise data paints a more nuanced picture. The BJP failed to win a mayoral post in only two districts — Hingoli and Nandurbar — underlining its widespread urban reach. In contrast, the Shinde-led Shiv Sena could not secure a single mayoral victory in 10 districts, while the Ajit Pawar-led NCP drew a blank in as many as 17 districts, raising questions about its depth beyond select strongholds.
The BJP dominated the tally with 127 mayoral wins, making it the single largest stakeholder in Maharashtra’s municipal politics. Its strongest performance came from Nagpur district, where the party swept 22 mayoral posts, reaffirming its long-standing influence in Vidarbha. The BJP also retained a commanding position in Ahilyanagar, Jalgaon, Satara and Amravati, indicating consistent organisational strength across regions.
Regionally, the alliance partners appeared to divide their influence. The BJP maintained dominance in Vidarbha, while the Shiv Sena found relative strength in North Maharashtra. The NCP’s influence was largely limited to Western Maharashtra, with Pune district emerging as its key base, where it secured 10 mayoral posts — the party’s best showing statewide. The Shiv Sena, meanwhile, performed strongly in Jalgaon, winning six mayoral posts and reinforcing its local network.
Outside the Mahayuti, the Congress managed to win 28 mayoral posts, with Chandrapur standing out as its most successful district, accounting for seven victories. The Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena secured nine mayoral posts, while the Sharad Pawar-led NCP won seven.
The Shinde-led Shiv Sena’s total tally stood at 53 mayoral wins, but its inability to register victories in several districts points to uneven consolidation after the party split. The Ajit Pawar-led NCP won 37 mayoral posts overall, but its absence in nearly half the districts remains a political challenge.
Smaller regional parties won four mayoral posts, registered parties accounted for 28, and independents secured five. As Maharashtra heads toward crucial civic and assembly elections, these results underline a simple truth: the Mahayuti may be intact, but the BJP is clearly setting the pace in urban Maharashtra, leaving its allies under pressure to rebuild ground-level strength.
