Biennial council polls in Maharashtra to test Maha Vikas Aghadi's revival prospects

Mumbai: The much-delayed biennial elections to 16 local authorities’ constituencies of the Maharashtra Legislative Council, scheduled for next month, are set to become a major political test for the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi-I.N.D.I.A. bloc following the ruling BJP-led Maha Yuti’s sweeping dominance in both the 2024 Assembly elections and the subsequent local body polls across the state.

The elections to the Maharashtra Council come against the backdrop of the recently-concluded Assembly elections in four states of West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Assam, Kerala, and the union territory of Puducherry.

The elections hold political significance because they will offer the first major indication of whether the Opposition can regain ground after suffering a severe setback in the 2024 Assembly polls and losing influence in several urban and rural local bodies over the past year.

According to the Election Commission of India (ECI), the notification for the elections will be issued on May 25, while polling will be held on June 18. Counting of votes is scheduled for June 22.

The Model Code of Conduct has come into force with immediate effect in the concerned constituencies.

The 16 local authorities’ constituencies are spread across Maharashtra’s five geographical regions — Konkan, Western Maharashtra, North Maharashtra, Marathwada and Vidarbha.

The constituencies include Thane and Raigad-cum-Ratnagiri-cum-Sindhudurg in Konkan; Pune, Solapur and Sangli-cum-Satara in Western Maharashtra; Ahmednagar, Jalgaon and Nashik in North Maharashtra; Nanded, Osmanabad-cum-Latur-cum-Beed, Parbhani-cum-Hingoli and Aurangabad-cum-Jalna in Marathwada; and Yavatmal, Bhandara-cum-Gondia, Wardha-cum-Chandrapur-cum-Gadchiroli and Amravati in Vidarbha.

The seats had fallen vacant after the retirement of members between January 2022 and August 2025.

Those whose terms ended include Prashant Prabhakar Paricharak, Arunkaka Babhimrao Jagtap, Ravindra Sadanand Phatak, Chandubhai V. Patel, Mohanrao Shripati Kadam, Amarnath Anantrao Rajurkar, Dushyant Satish Chaturvedi, Anil Shivajirao Bhosale, Dr Parinay Ramesh Fuke, Aniket Sunil Tatkare, Narendra Bhikaji Darade, Ramdas Bhagwanji Ambatkar, Pravin Ramchandra Pote, Suresh Ramchandra Dhas, Viplove Gopikishan Bajoria and Ambadas Eknathrao Danve.

As per ECI norms, elections to local authorities’ constituencies can only be conducted if at least 75 per cent of the local bodies in a constituency are functional and at least 75 per cent of the electors are in position.

With elections to municipal corporations, municipal councils, zilla parishads and panchayat samitis delayed for several years in Maharashtra, these conditions could not be fulfilled earlier, resulting in prolonged vacancies in the Legislative Council segments.

The Chief Electoral Officer of Maharashtra recently informed the ECI that the mandatory threshold of functioning local bodies and electors had finally been met in all the 16 constituencies, clearing the way for the polls.

Unlike the Legislative Council seats elected by MLAs, where the numbers in the 288-member Assembly determine the outcome through a proportional quota system, elections from local authorities’ constituencies depend on the strength of councillors and corporators in local bodies.

This is where the ruling Maha Yuti currently enjoys a decisive advantage.

In the elections to 29 municipal corporations, 288 municipal councils and nagar panchayats, 12 zilla parishads and 125 panchayat samitis held during 2025-26, the BJP emerged as the single largest party across Maharashtra. Along with allies, the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena and the Ajit Pawar-led NCP, the ruling alliance secured control over a majority of urban and rural local bodies.

The BJP’s growing footprint in civic bodies, particularly in urban centres such as Mumbai, Pune, Nagpur, Nashik and Navi Mumbai, has significantly strengthened the ruling alliance’s electoral college for the Council polls.

For the Opposition MVA—comprising the Congress, the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT), and the Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP)—the elections are expected to be a crucial battle to retain political relevance in local self-government institutions and prevent further erosion of its organisational base ahead of future civic and parliamentary contests.

Political observers believe the results could also shape the internal power equations within both the ruling alliance and the Opposition bloc, especially in regions like Western Maharashtra and Marathwada, where local leadership networks remain influential despite recent electoral setbacks.