Maharashtra Civic Polls Scorecard: Sharad Pawar's NCP Emerges Biggest Loser, Owaisi's AIMIM Expand Footprints

New Delhi: In the high-stakes Maharashtra municipal corporation elections held on January 15, the faction led by Sharad Pawar-NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) faced a significant electoral setback where the poll veteran emerged as one of the biggest losers of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and Maharashtra civic elections.

The results of the much-anticipated polls indicate that the Sharad Pawar "brand" struggled in its traditional strongholds as the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance swept the state.

The results exposed the steady erosion of his once-formidable grip over urban and organisational politics.

Considered as the master strategist of Maharashtra, the latest result civic verdict punctured that perception as the NCP (SP) managed to get just 1 win in Mumbai wards and remaining marginal in Pune- a city once considered to be his strong bastion.

Uncle-nephew union falter

Sharad Pawar's strategy to join hands with nephew Ajit Pawar for the Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad municipal elections also failed as the BJP secured thumping victory in these bodies.

Although reports suggested Sharad Pawar wanted the Maha Vikas Agadi to fight as a unit, he failed to keep the parties together, especially after the Thackeray cousins- Raj and Uddhav- joined hands, pushing Congress to go solo.

Not a Single seat

In large municipal corporations such as Navi Mumbai, Nashik, Pimpri-Chinchwad, and Nagpur, the party failed to secure a single seat.

Furthermore, NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) was unable to open its account in the municipal corporations of Ulhasnagar, Mira-Bhayandar, Vasai-Virar, Panvel, Malegaon, Dhule, Jalgaon, Kolhapur, Nanded-Waghala, Parbhani, Amravati, Chandrapur, Jalna, and Ichalkaranji.

Key Performance Highlights

Pune & Pimpri-Chinchwad (The Bastion): In a major political shift, Sharad Pawar and his nephew Ajit Pawar joined forces specifically for these two civic bodies to counter the BJP. However, the strategy failed,  despite their aggressive campaigning.

In the 165-member Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), the BJP emerged as the clear frontrunner, winning 122 seats and crossing the majority mark with ease.

In Pune (PMC), the NCP (SP) managed to win only 27 seats out of 165, while the BJP secured a resounding victory.

Mumbai (BMC): In the 227-member Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, Sharad Pawar's faction was reduced to just 3 seat.

Statewide Tally 

Across the 29 municipal corporations that went to polls, the NCP (SP) won approximately 36 seats in total. The party "drew a blank" (won zero seats) in several major cities including Navi Mumbai, Nashik, Nagpur, and Kolhapur.

Bright Spots 

One of the few areas of relative success was Thane and Bhiwandi-Nizampur, where the faction won 12 seats each.

Owaisi's AIMIM makes big gains

In the recent elections across 29 municipal corporations, Asaduddin Owaisi’s AIMIM emerged as a formidable political force in Maharashtra. Outperforming both the Samajwadi Party and Raj Thackeray’s MNS, the party secured a total of 121 seats statewide. Notably, AIMIM won eight seats in Mumbai and established itself as the second-largest party in both Malegaon and Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar.

In Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, AIMIM achieved its most successful outcome to date by winning 33 out of 115 seats, securing its position as the second-largest party in the civic body. 

The BJP took the top spot with 58 seats, while the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena and Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena (UBT) followed with 12 and 6 seats, respectively. This performance marks a notable improvement for AIMIM, which had won 25 seats in the previous municipal election and had previously secured a Lok Sabha seat from the region in 2019.

In Malegaon, the party is also poised for a dominant role, having secured 20 out of 84 seats. By finishing in second place, AIMIM has significantly fortified its local influence, while the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena followed closely with 18 seats.

In this city, dominated by the Muslim community, Islam Party emerged as the single largest party with 35 seats. Samajwadi Party (SP) won six seats, and the Congress managed to win only three seats.

AIMIM bagged 14 seats in Nanded, 11 in Amravati and 10 seats in Dhule civic body. In Solapur and Mumbai, the party won eight seats each, seven in Nagpur, five in Thane, three in Akola, and two seats each in Ahilyanagar and Jalna. It has also opened its account in Chandrapur by winning one seat.

'Pawar-Play' Fails In Pune

The “Pawar fortress” of western Maharashtra has been significantly breached, with the BJP emerging as the dominant force in the Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad municipal corporations despite a rare truce and joint campaign by Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP) and Ajit Pawar-led NCP.

Polling was conducted across 29 municipal corporations, with coverage revealed that 3.48 crore voters were eligible and over 15,900 candidates contested. In Pune, 1,166 candidates vied for 165 seats, and the voter turnout was reported at nearly 47%. The elections were marked by high security and extensive arrangements to ensure transparency and smooth conduct.

Results of elections in all the 227 wards in Mumbai were declared around midnight. The BJP won 89 and ally Shiv Sena bagged 29 seats, while Shiv Sena (UBT) got 65 and MNS six seats. The Congress, which fought in alliance with Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi, bagged 24 seats, AIMIM 8, NCP 3, Samajwadi Party 2 and NCP (SP) got just one seat.

The BJP-led Mahayuti alliance is set to come to power in 25 of the 29 municipal corporations, including Mumbai, where elections were held on January 15, Maharashtra Chief Minister Fadnavis said, addressing jubilant party workers in south Mumbai in the evening.

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