Maharashtra Local Body Poll Result: An explanation of the Maharashtra Local Body Poll results Is the Real Shiv Sena Debate Over? Shinde Maintains Dominance Over Thackeray

Maharashtra Local Body Poll Result: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) emerged as the single biggest party by capturing the president’s positions in 117 local bodies, giving the governing Mahayuti coalition a resounding victory in the just finished local bodies elections. With 53 council presidents, the Shiv Sena, headed by Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, maintained its second-place finish, followed by the NCP, led by Ajit Pawar, with 37. The opposition parties—the Congress, Uddhav Thackeray’s Sena, and NCP (S)—were humiliated by their combined score of less than 50, which was even worse than Shinde’s party’s.

Is the Party of Shinde the Actual Shiv Sena?
During the party’s split, Eknath Shinde, who was well-known for his control over the undivided Shiv Sena cadre, was called a “traitor” and a “opportunist” by the Shiv Sena (UBT) leaders. They also called Shinde’s collaboration with the BJP a transitory solution and said that he had little influence outside of Thane. But in the Lok Sabha 2024 election, the Assembly election, and the just finished local body elections, Shinde has far surpassed the party of his former boss, Uddhav Thackeray.

Given that its candidates defeated the saffron party in many friendly fight contests, Shiv Sena’s result also sends a clear message to its partner, the BJP. Speaking to the media after the election results, Shinde said that the people had resolved the dispute over the true Shiv Sena. It’s untrue to argue that the Shiv Sena is solely powerful in Thane, as some people formerly said. This election has shown that the Shiv Sena has infiltrated every household. Shinde told the media, “This election has helped the Shiv Sena’s bow and arrow rise even in small cities.”

It is ultimately the Mahayuti who has prevailed. The Shiv Sena has reached half a century, while the BJP has reached a century. We also have a very high strike rate. We won a good number of seats and battled for fewer,” he said. The election of the much expected BMC, where Shiv Sena (UBT) has a dominance, would be Shinde’s Sena’s next significant obstacle.