Mahayuti Secures Majority in BMC; Fadnavis Declares Victory for Development

The Mahayuti alliance, led by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), crossed the majority mark in trends during the counting of votes for the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections on Thursday. With a halfway mark of 114 seats, early trends indicated significant gains for the ruling alliance in India’s richest civic body as counting continued across multiple centers in the city.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis hailed the BJP’s performance, saying the Mahayuti was on course to achieve a “full majority” in the BMC polls. Senior BJP leaders said the results reflected public trust in the alliance’s development agenda for Mumbai, while party workers celebrated victories in several key wards, including parts of Dharavi.

However, the counting process faced disruptions, with results in at least two wards put on hold due to reported errors in counting and issues related to electronic voting machines (EVMs). Election officials said the discrepancies were being reviewed, and final outcomes would be declared after verification, leading to brief delays in some wards.

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Opposition parties, including the Shiv Sena (UBT), Congress, and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), managed to secure wins in select pockets, particularly in traditional strongholds. Shiv Sena (UBT) leaders maintained that counting had yet to begin in around 100 wards at one stage, urging patience until the final tally was clear.

The high-stakes election followed a four-year delay in BMC polls and was closely watched due to major political realignments in Maharashtra, including the split within the Shiv Sena and the formation of the Mahayuti alliance. Voter turnout was reported to be lower than previous elections, with officials noting that just over half of registered voters cast their ballots.

As trends continue to evolve, political observers say the results could reshape Mumbai’s civic governance and influence future state-level political strategies. Final outcomes are expected once counting is completed and pending ward results are resolved.

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