Maharashtra Ruling Alliance Unites for Upcoming Civic Elections: Mahayuti to Contest Zilla Parishad and Municipal Polls Together

Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis along with Deputy CMs Eknath Shinde (left) and Ajit Pawar (right).

Mumbai:

Maharashtra Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule has announced that the ruling Mahayuti alliance will contest the upcoming Zilla Parishad and Municipal Corporation elections together. A significant high-level meeting regarding this strategy was attended by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Maharashtra BJP chief Ravindra Chavan, and other senior leaders.

"All district-level leaders have received instructions to establish the Mahayuti structure at grassroots level promptly. Though minor issues may arise in approximately 5-10 percent of seats locally, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde will personally intervene and make final decisions where necessary," explained Bawankule, who serves as BJP's state-in-charge for local body elections.

"Ajit Pawar Is Inseparable Part Of Alliance"

For the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections, the alliance has implemented a "4 + 4" formula. A coordination committee consisting of four senior office-bearers each from BJP and Shiv Sena (Shinde group), along with representatives from other Mahayuti partners, will determine seat-sharing arrangements after thorough technical analysis. Any disagreements will be resolved by the senior leadership.

Bawankule further stated that the critical decision regarding Mumbai's Mayor position will be jointly determined by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar.

The Revenue Minister dismissed speculation, confirming that Deputy Chief Minister Pawar and his Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) are integral components of the Mahayuti alliance. "Recent local body elections experienced some electoral differences among workers in a few locations, but these have been fully resolved. There has never been any animosity, only typical electoral differences of opinion, which are now resolved," the Maharashtra revenue minister added.

Regarding Vidarbha's development, Bawankule highlighted that the region has experienced unprecedented progress since the Devendra Fadnavis-led government assumed power in 2014. He criticized the Congress for decades of neglect that caused the region's decline. Bawankule also confirmed that due to Vidarbha having the largest forest cover in the state, the Forest Department headquarters will remain in Nagpur rather than relocating to Mumbai.