Even before a single vote is cast, the BJP-led Mahayuti has taken a commanding early lead in the Maharashtra civic polls, with 68 seats decided unopposed after the close of the nomination withdrawal window on Friday. Polling for the remaining seats is scheduled for January 15, with counting to be held the following day.

The unopposed victories came after multiple candidates from rival parties withdrew their nominations, effectively clearing the field in several urban local bodies. This has ensured wins without contest across key municipal corporations and councils, underlining the ruling alliance’s growing dominance in urban Maharashtra.

Of the 68 seats secured without voting, the Bharatiya Janata Party has emerged as the biggest beneficiary with 44 seats. The highest concentration of such wins was reported from the Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation, followed by unopposed victories in Pune, Pimpri-Chinchwad, Panvel, Bhiwandi, Dhule, Jalgaon, and Ahilyanagar.

The Shiv Sena, led by Eknath Shinde, secured 22 seats without contest, while Nationalist Congress Party headed by Ajit Pawar won two unopposed seats.

In Pune, BJP candidates Manjusha Nagpure and Shrikant Jagtap were declared elected unopposed from Ward No. 35 after all opposing nominees withdrew. Notably, both leaders had represented the same ward during the 2017–2022 civic term, suggesting continuity rather than disruption in local leadership.

Reacting to the developments, Union Minister Murlidhar Mohol said the unopposed wins reflected public confidence in the BJP’s governance. He also asserted that the next Pune mayor would be from the BJP, adding that the party had set an ambitious target of 125 seats in the civic body.

BJP leaders attributed the trend to the popularity of Devendra Fadnavis and the organisational strategy led by state BJP president Ravindra Chavan, claiming it had strengthened the party’s grassroots presence across municipal councils and corporations.

However, the Opposition has raised sharp objections. The Shiv Sena (Uddhav Thackeray faction) accused the ruling alliance of undermining democratic processes. Party MP Priyanka Chaturvedi alleged that opposition candidates were forced to withdraw through intimidation by central agencies or inducements, calling the trend a “shameful erosion of democracy” and questioning the silence of the Election Commission.

The civic elections cover 29 municipal corporations, including the politically crucial Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, making the January 15 polls a key test of urban political strength ahead of future state and national contests.