By Admin 
The election results of 29 municipal bodies in Maharashtra are likely to change the equations within the opposition alliance Maha Vikas Aghadi. This may be because Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP) has faced a crushing defeat in its stronghold Pune, while Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena (UBT) has given a tough fight in its stronghold Mumbai, but its base has shrunk in other cities, while Congress has strengthened its hold in many cities.
As per the final results, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won 1,425 out of total 2,869 seats in 29 municipal bodies, while Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena won 399, Congress 324, Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) 167, Shiv Sena (UBT) 155, NCP (Sharad Chandra Pawar) 36, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) 13, BSP have won six seats, parties registered with the State Election Commission (SEC) have won 129 seats, unrecognized parties have won 196 seats and independent candidates have won 19 seats.
Increased power of Congress?
Political analysts say that when Congress secured third place overall in the elections and performed much better than its allies Shiv Sena (UBT) and NCP (SP) in Maha Vikas Aghadi, this situation will force a rethink on coordination, seat sharing and leadership before the 2029 assembly elections.
While Shiv Sena (UBT) lost power in Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation and NCP (SP) lost its strongholds in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad despite alliance with Ajit Pawar’s NCP, Congress managed to become the single largest party in Kolhapur, Chandrapur and Bhiwandi.
Congress sources said the party will now seek to increase its stake in the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), claiming that the ‘regional pride’ card of Thackeray and Pawar had failed to stop the BJP’s advance.
According to analysts, Thackeray’s party remains the main rival of the BJP in Mumbai, but its influence has declined in other parts of the state, which will directly affect its claim to be the senior partner in the MVA.
The ruling coalition in Maharashtra benefited!
Analysts said that the division of votes between Shiv Sena (UBT) and Shiv Sena has benefited the ruling coalition in many wards. He said Thackeray’s party is maintaining emotional connect, but without a united organizational structure, converting it into victory at the ward level remains a challenge.
Analysts said the NCP (SP) has been hit the most, especially after its crushing defeat in Pune district and single digit seats in most urban areas, now raising questions over its claim of being the ‘architect’ of the MVA.
The seat numbers show that Congress is now the only party among the opposition that has a presence across Maharashtra, which will compel it to pursue a common minimum program that gives priority to its national agenda. Due to this, Shiv Sena (UBT) and NCP (SP) will have to face the risk of either playing a supporting role or a three-way split in the opposition vote.
Senior journalist Prakash Akolkar said, ‘NCP (SP) and Shiv Sena (UBT) have no option but to leave their prejudices and join hands with the Congress, so that their symbol reaches across Maharashtra. The 2029 assembly elections are far away, but from the Zilla Parishad elections itself, both the parties will have to work together with the Congress.
What is the claim of Congress, NCP, BJP on changes in MVA?
BJP leader Madhav Bhandari said that the opposition parties including Congress are away from the ground reality. He said that development is the main issue of the people and this has been decisively highlighted in the local elections.
NCP (SP) general secretary Arvind Tiwari said, ‘Now the time has come for Shiv Sena (UBT) and NCP (SP) to take to the streets and strengthen their organization again and form a new leadership.’
Senior Congress leader Ratnakar Mahajan said that his party has emerged as the largest party in the opposition alliance, but the results of the recent local body and municipal body elections show that the gap between the winners and the opposition is huge.
He said, ‘Cash reaching party workers and voters could be the reason for this, but this fact has been ignored. The only way for Congress to move forward is to strengthen the organization at the block level. This does not mean that the leadership does not understand it, but there are some shortcomings in implementation. To fight BJP, the party will have to unite and rethink its alliance strategy.