The ruling Mahayuti alliance in Maharashtra has secured a commanding position even before a single vote is cast in the ongoing municipal corporation elections. In a significant pre-poll development, the coalition has won 68 out of 69 seats where candidates were elected unopposed, showcasing its organizational strength and setting the tone for the civic polls.
Unopposed Victories: A Seat-Wise Breakdown
The last day for withdrawal of candidature on Friday saw a major consolidation in favor of the ruling alliance. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) emerged as the biggest gainer, with its candidates elected without contest in 44 seats across various municipal corporations. Its allies followed suit, with the Shiv Sena securing 22 unopposed wins, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) two, and the Islamic Party one.
The BJP's uncontested victories were spread across key urban centers. The party saw 15 candidates win unopposed in Kalyan, six in Bhiwandi, two each in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad, six in Panvel, four in Dhule, six in Jalgaon, and three in Ahilyanagar. The Shiv Sena's uncontested wins included seven in Thane—the home turf of Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde—two in Bhiwandi, seven in Kalyan, and six in Jalgaon. The NCP, led by Ajit Pawar, won two uncontested seats in Jalgaon, while the Islamic Party's lone unopposed victory came from Malegaon.
The Rush to Withdraw: Numbers and Hotspots
The final tally saw a massive wave of withdrawals, significantly thinning the field of contestants. On Friday alone, 453 candidates, or 20% of the total, withdrew their nominations. The nomination process, which concluded on December 30, had seen 2,516 filings. Of these, 2,182 were validated, and the rest were rejected. After the withdrawal process, the number of candidates contesting the civic elections stands at 1,729.
Officials stated that symbols would be allocated on Saturday afternoon, after which the final list of contesting candidates would be published. Data from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) revealed interesting patterns. The highest number of withdrawals, 34, occurred in Mumbai's N ward (Ghatkopar). This was followed by 25 withdrawals in H East (Bandra East), 24 in L (Kurla) and T (Mulund) wards. Areas like F-south (Lalbaug, Parel) and P-east (Malad East) saw 21 withdrawals each. Conversely, the M/East ward (Deonar) received the highest number of applications at 182, followed by K/West (Andheri, Lokhandwala) with 133.
Drama and Pressure: The Battle Against Rebels
The path to these uncontested victories was not smooth, marked by intense pressure and dramatic scenes across the state as ruling parties worked to rein in rebel candidates. From Nashik and Solapur to Mumbai and Nagpur, party leaders employed various tactics to persuade dissidents to withdraw, sometimes leading to violent confrontations.
In a tragic incident in Solapur, clashes between two groups within the BJP reportedly resulted in the death of a political worker, necessitating police deployment to control the situation. In Nashik, where the BJP faced internal backlash for awarding tickets to outsiders, party leaders were seen fighting amongst themselves during the withdrawal process.
Despite concerted efforts, some rebels held their ground. In Mumbai, five BJP rebels decided to contest from wards 60, 173, 205, 177, and 180. Similarly, the Thackeray brothers, Uddhav and Raj, failed to persuade rebels to withdraw in nine wards. In Bhiwandi, Shiv Sena (UBT) and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) candidates filed against each other. In Panvel, seven Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) candidates withdrew, effectively handing victory to BJP nominees.
One of the most striking episodes unfolded in Nagpur, where BJP rebel candidate Kisan Gawande was locked inside his house by his own supporters. The party had sent MLC Parinay Phuke to persuade Gawande to withdraw. After a tense standoff, Gawande eventually requested his supporters to allow him to obey the party's order.
Congress MLAs Vikas Thakre and Nitin Raut were also busy throughout the day, trying to convince party rebels to step down by promising them greater organizational responsibilities. In Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, where BJP workers had protested against leaders for favoring outsiders, several were persuaded to withdraw. However, Prashant Bhadane-Patil, who had earlier attempted self-immolation, refused to back down from contesting in ward number 2.
This pre-poll scenario underscores the high-stakes nature of Maharashtra's civic elections, where organizational muscle and political maneuvering have already determined a substantial number of seats, setting the stage for a competitive contest in the remaining wards.
