Political ideologies seem to blur as Maharashtra gears up for civic polls

Mumbai: As Maharashtra heads for the high-stake much-awaited single-phase polls to all the 29 municipal corporations on 15 January 2026, political ideologies seem to blur — a development which would surely lead to surprising results and new post-poll arrangements in the civic bodies.

A total electorate of 3.48 crore will decide the fate of aspirants in 2,869 electoral wards/seats which include the largest 227 in BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), the richest civic body of India.

In this western Indian state, the Mahayuti comprising BJP, Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, and Ajit Pawar-headed NCP occupies the Treasury benches while the Maha Vikas Aghadi comprises Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) and Sharad Pawar-headed NCP (SP) are in the Opposition benches.

However, if one looks at the arrangements at the level of civic bodies, in more than a dozen of the 29 corporations, the political parties are contesting against each other contrary to their current position in the Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha.

In Mumbai, Uddhav has tied up with cousin and MNS president Raj Thackeray and has created a new front which would take on the BJP-Shiv Sena combine that has left the NCP. The Congress on the other hand has strayed away from the MVA and forged an alliance with Prakash Ambedkar-led Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi. In BMC, thus there are three fronts besides a large number of parties including Aam Aadmi Party and Samajwadi Party, which are part of the opposition I.N.D.I.A. bloc, contesting independently.

In the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC), the BJP has formed an alliance while Congress will go solo. On the other hand Shiv Sena (UBT), MNS and Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP) will contest as an alliance - making the polls triangular like Mumbai.

On the other hand, what was surprising was in Pune district - where the Ajit Pawar-led NCP and Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP), who are part of ruling Maha Yuti-NDA and opposition MVA, respectively, have come together to contest the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) and Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC). The BJP is going solo in the two corporations while the Shiv Sena (UBT)-MNS will have an alliance and contest elections together. The Pune district is the bastion of the Pawar family.

In Nagpur, which is the stronghold of Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, the BJP will have an alliance with Shinde Sena, however, NCP will contest the elections separately. On the opposition front, the Congress is contesting independently.

In the Vasai-Virar suburbs of Mumbai, the BJP-Shiv Sena grouping has decided to contest together and take on the Hitendra Thakur-led Bahujan Vikas Aghadi. The Shiv Sena (UBT) is expected to go solo while the Congress and MNS will have an alliance with the BVA.

In Nashik, the opposition MVA is putting up a united front against the BJP, which is going solo, while the Shiv Sena-NCP have joined hands in yet another triangular contest.

In Malegaon, the Maha Yuti parties will be contesting unitedly while the Congress will go along and so will Asaduddin Owaisi-led AIMIM. The Akhilesh Yadav-led Samajwadi Party and VBA of Prakash Ambedkar have formed an alliance. The UBT Sena-MNS has formed an alliance.

In Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar, the Congress and NCP (SP) will be contesting together to take on BJP, Shinde Sena and UBT Sena, which all are contesting independently.