NEW DELHI,16 Jan 2026: The BJP alliance has crossed the halfway mark, followed by the Thackeray cousins, in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) in Mumbai, as votes are being counted for elections to 29 civic bodies across Maharashtra.
The highly anticipated Sharad Pawar-Ajit Pawar family reunion for the Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad municipal elections – their two strongholds – seems to have largely flopped as the BJP has taken a huge lead in both cities.
The BJP-led alliance is ahead in 115 wards in the BMC. The BJP has an edge in 86 while Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena is ahead in 29 wards.
The Thackeray cousins are behind with an edge in 77 wards, appearing sluggish in their attempt to retain control of the cash-rich civic body. While Uddhav Thackeray’s Sena is ahead in 71, Raj Thackeray’s Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) is leading in six wards.
According to the latest trends, the BJP is leading in 80 wards in Pune. The Pawars’ alliance – NCP(Ajit Pawar) is leading in only six wards, while NCP(Sharad Pawar) is leading in three. The Congress, which is ahead in three wards, is allying with the Thackeray brothers (Uddhav’s Shiv Sena and Raj’s MNS) – who are not leading in any wards. The Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena is contesting the Pune civic polls solo, and is not leading in any wards so far.
The Pimpri-Chinchwad municipal corporation, considered as one of the richest after the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), had been held by Sharad Pawar’s undivided NCP since 2017. However, the Pawars are losing this stronghold too, despite their aggressive campaigning. The NCP(Ajit Pawar) is ahead of 37 seats, while the NCP(Sharad Pawar) is leading in one ward. BJP, on the other hand, has taken the lead in 77 wards.
The Thackerays together are leading in only one ward in Pimpri-Chinchwad, while Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena is ahead in 10. The Congress has not managed to take a lead yet, the latest trends show.
The uncle and nephew, who had previously worked together as part of the NCP, split in 2023 when Ajit Pawar allied with the BJP in Maharashtra. Sharad Pawar’s NCP faction has been a part of the Opposition alliance both in the state and at the Centre.
Calls for their reconciliation began to surface after the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance’s landslide victory in the Maharashtra Assembly elections last year.
Picture credit social media
