Maharashtra will hold its first local body elections in nearly a decade on December 2, following a recent Supreme Court ruling on reservation matters. The State Election Commission announced that the first phase will cover 246 municipal councils and 42 nagar panchayats, with results due a day later. These elections carry significant weight for both the ruling Mahayuti alliance—consisting of BJP, Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena, and Ajit Pawar's NCP—and the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi, which includes Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT), and Sharad Pawar's NCP(SP). Elections are pending for 29 municipal corporations, 247 municipal councils, 42 nagar panchayats, 32 zilla parishads, and 336 panchayat samitis statewide. The last such polls took place in 2016-2017. Uncertainty remains about whether parties will contest as allies or independently, particularly at the grassroots level.
High Stakes for Mahayuti and Opposition in First Phase
For the Mahayuti coalition, these polls mark the first electoral test since their landslide victory in last year's Assembly elections. BJP leaders view them as crucial for developing new leadership, noting that years without elections have hindered leader creation and worker advancement. The ruling alliance banks on development projects in semi-urban and semi-rural areas to secure votes. Meanwhile, MVA constituents label these elections a referendum on the Devendra Fadnavis government's development claims. Congress leaders argue that agriculture remains the dominant factor in these regions and will decisively influence outcomes. An NCP(SP) leader emphasized that phase one involves roughly 10 percent of the state's population, and early results could significantly impact subsequent phases.
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