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Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Union Minister Nitin Gadkari on Sunday hailed the Bharatiya Janata Party’s performance in Maharashtra’s local body elections, describing the outcome as a “trailer” for the municipal corporation polls scheduled on January 15.

 

Counting of votes for 286 municipal councils and nagar panchayats began at 10 am, with early trends showing the Mahayuti alliance, comprising the BJP, Shinde’s Shiv Sena, and Ajit Pawar’s NCP-leading comfortably.

 

“Results show the public's preference for development over politics. The grand victory of the Mahayuti in the elections is just a trailer. The Mahayuti will repeat the same in the forthcoming municipal corporation elections,” Shinde said.

 

Claiming the Mahayuti crossed 200 seats, Shinde added: “The BJP had scored a century and the Shiv Sena has notched a half century and emerged as the second-largest party in the state. Konkan is the bastion of the Shiv Sena. The party is not confined to Mumbai and Thane but has reached each and every household in the state.”

 

Also read: Voting begins in 23 municipal councils in Maharashtra

 

Shinde also criticised the Shiv Sena (UBT) leadership, saying, “The voters have made those who sat at home to sit at home in the elections… People have decided which is the real Shiv Sena. Our ideology is Balasaheb Thackeray. He would be happy today over this magnificent victory.”

 

Union Minister Gadkari described the “overwhelming success” of the BJP as a “victory of the workers.” “Yours, ours, BJP belongs to everyone and this is a victory of the workers,” he said on X, adding, “Thank you to the people who supported the BJP by maintaining faith in its development-oriented working style.”

 

Highlighting the Shiv Sena’s strike rate, Shinde noted that while his party contested fewer seats, it won a majority and outperformed the combined tally of the Maha Vikas Aghadi. He dismissed speculation over alliances between Uddhav Thackeray and Raj Thackeray, asserting the public votes for work, not politics. Shinde also credited women beneficiaries under state schemes and party workers for the success.