Will Mahayuti sweep BMC polls? CM Fadnavis sounds confident

Mumbai: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Wednesday said the people of the state have decided to support the ruling Mahayuti alliance in the ongoing local body elections, including the high-stakes Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) polls. Speaking to ANI, Fadnavis said voters were backing the alliance due to its consistent focus on development.

The Chief Minister said elections are being held in 29 municipal corporations across Maharashtra and claimed that in “26 or 27 corporations, the mayor will be from the BJP, Shiv Sena or the Nationalist Congress Party”, the three partners in the Mahayuti alliance. He added that his assessment was based on extensive visits to villages and major cities where polling is underway.

Fadnavis highlighted the social and professional diversity of Mahayuti candidates, saying tickets were given to people from varied backgrounds, including graduates, post-graduates, lawyers, doctors and PhD holders. He said the alliance aimed to ensure broad representation at the civic level.

Emphasising the campaign strategy, Fadnavis said development remained the central theme throughout the electioneering, including in Mumbai. He said the opposition attempted to divert attention from development issues but the Mahayuti alliance stayed focused, with “80–90 per cent” of the campaign centred on development-related work.

He further said the civic polls would reflect public trust in both the Maharashtra government and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, adding that the BJP functions as a unified national organisation where electoral victories boost morale across the party.

Addressing reports of internal differences within the Mahayuti during local body polls, Fadnavis rejected claims of infighting. He said the alliance had mutually agreed on “friendly fights” in a few cities where one party was dominant and that there was no public criticism among alliance partners.

Commenting on NCP leader Ajit Pawar’s criticism of the BJP during campaigning in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad, Fadnavis said the party chose not to respond politically and instead relied on its development record.

On Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray’s remarks over BJP leader K Annamalai’s use of the word “Bombay”, Fadnavis downplayed the issue, saying it was likely a language-related mistake and an attempt to create unnecessary controversy.

Voting for the BMC elections will be held on January 15 from 7:30 am to 5:30 pm across 227 wards, with counting scheduled for January 16.
(With ANI inputs)