From sweeping victories and political consolidation to razor-thin margins and hung houses, outcomes in Thane, Bhiwandi, Kalyan–Dombivli and Mira-Bhayandar underline a region voting not as a single bloc but ward by ward
Pic/PTI
The civic election results across the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) have produced a mosaic of political mandates—ranging from emphatic one-party dominance to fractured verdicts—highlighting how local leadership, neighbourhood dynamics and ward-level governance continue to shape urban politics beyond broader state or national narratives.
From sweeping victories and political consolidation to razor-thin margins and hung houses, outcomes in Thane, Bhiwandi, Kalyan–Dombivli and Mira-Bhayandar underline a region voting not as a single bloc but ward by ward. As parties now move swiftly into post-poll negotiations, the results reaffirm a core tenet of civic politics: power in the MMR is built as much on local credibility as on party symbols.
Shinde tightens grip on Thane
The elections to the Thane Municipal Corporation delivered a decisive mandate in favour of Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena, which secured 75 of the 131 seats. Alliance partner Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) finished a distant second with 28 seats.
Within the Mahayuti alliance, the Shiv Sena contested 87 seats, the BJP 40, while four were allotted to smaller allies. The Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar faction) won 12 seats, while the Nationalist Congress Party (Ajit Pawar faction) secured nine. The All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen won five seats, while one independent candidate was elected.
The Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) managed just one seat, while the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) and the Indian National Congress failed to open their accounts.
The outcome marks a further consolidation of power since the 2017 polls, when a united Shiv Sena had won 67 seats. Following the party split, 66 of those corporators shifted allegiance to Shinde’s faction, cementing his dominance in the city. The 2026 verdict reinforces Thane as Shinde’s political stronghold, with the BJP emerging as the principal challenger.
Bhiwandi delivers fractured mandate
The Bhiwandi–Nizampur Municipal Corporation elections resulted in a split verdict, placing the Congress at the centre of post-poll negotiations without delivering it a clear mandate to govern.
Polling witnessed steady turnout, though complaints of faulty EVM buttons, missing voter names and long queues were reported from several wards.
The Congress, which fielded the highest number of candidates, converted 30 of its 58 contestants into winners but fell short of a majority. The BJP, contesting 32 seats, won 22, retaining a strong organisational footprint, particularly in mixed residential-commercial pockets.
The Shiv Sena won 12 of the 20 seats it contested, while the NCP (SP) also secured 12 seats despite contesting 37. Both parties are expected to play a decisive role in coalition-building talks.
Several parties failed to win a single seat despite wide contestation, including the Shiv Sena (UBT), Aam Aadmi Party, AIMIM, Ajit Pawar-led NCP, Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi and MNS. The Samajwadi Party won six seats, while local outfits—Konark Vikas Aghadi and Bhiwandi Vikas Aghadi (Ekta Manch)—together secured seven seats, underscoring the continued relevance of neighbourhood-level leadership. Independents managed just one win despite 121 candidates in the fray.
High-stakes contest in Kalyan–Dombivli
The elections to the Kalyan–Dombivli Municipal Corporation witnessed a multi-cornered, high-voltage contest involving several alliances, including the BJP–Shiv Sena–RPI combine, the Shiv Sena (UBT)–MNS alliance, the Congress–NCP (SP) front, and the Ajit Pawar-led NCP.
The Mahayuti partners—the BJP and Shiv Sena—contested together in most wards and emerged with a commanding tally of 104 seats. The BJP won 50 seats, while the Shiv Sena secured 53. The Congress won two seats, the MNS five, the Shiv Sena (UBT) 11, and the NCP (SP) one seat.
BJP tops Mira-Bhayandar
In Mira-Bhayandar, the BJP emerged as the single largest party, winning 78 seats in the municipal corporation elections. The Congress trailed far behind with 13 seats, while the Shiv Sena secured three.
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