BJP is expanding as political space of other parties shrinking in Maharashtra

Mumbai: Riding on the momentum from its strong showing in the November 2024 assembly elections, the BJP has further expanded its footprint in Maharashtra even as the political bases of other parties are shrinking, a party office-bearer said on Saturday.

The assessment by the BJP's chief spokesperson, Keshav Upadhye, was based on the saffron party's stellar showing in the civic polls across 29 municipal corporations, a day after the results were declared.

The BJP-led Mahayuti alliance is set to come to power in 25 of the 29 municipal corporations, including Mumbai.

In a social media post, Upadhye stated the party won 1,430 seats in the civic polls, up from 1,137 in 2017.

He noted that the number of municipal corporations in Maharashtra rose from 27 to 29 after Ichalkaranji and Jalna were granted civic body status.

The BJP won both new corporations by comfortable margins, according to data released by the state election commission.

Upadhye stated the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena won 397 seats across the 29 civic bodies, while the Ajit Pawar-led NCP secured 160 seats.

The Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena won 153 seats statewide, a sharp decline from the 501 seats it had won in 2017. The NCP (SP) managed only 36 seats, down from 309 in 2017, he added.

The Maharashtra Navnirman Sena, which had won 27 seats in 2017, was reduced to 13 this time. Meanwhile, smaller parties and independents won a total of 357 seats.

"While other parties are shrinking their political space, the BJP is expanding in Maharashtra," Upadhye said, noting that Shiv Sena (UBT) managed double-digit wins in only two municipal corporations.