BMC election results 2026: Thank you Maharashtra, says PM Narendra Modi; People voted for development, says CM Devendra Fadnavis; It's an ideological battle, says Congress

BJP emerged as the single largest party in many of the municipal corporations that went to poll on Thursday, also improving on its previous election tallies. Of the 29 municipal corporations that went to polls, the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance was set to govern in 24 bodies.

Congress emerged single largest party in two corporations and two other parties secured majority in two corporations.As the leads trickled in, CM Devendra Fadnavis said people voted for the BJP-led Mahayuti as they wanted honesty and development. PM Narendra Modi also acknowledged BJP's wins in the civic polls. "Thank you Maharashtra! The dynamic people of the state bless the ND's agenda of pro-people good governance," Modi said in a post on X.Maharashtra Congress chief Harshvardhan Sapkal said, "We have fought an ideological battle regardless of wins or losses." The BJP has won or emerged as the single largest party in 21 of 29 municipal corporations in Maharashtra. In three cities - Thane, Kalyan Dombivali and Ahilyanagar - its allies NCP and Shiv Sena were in the lead with BJP a close second. In some corporations, where the BJP was leading, the runner's up spot was taken up by its Mahayuti ally, leaving the opposition MVA with minimal say in how some of the largest cities will be governed.

The opposition won in just five corporations: Latur, Malegaon, Parbhani, Vasai-Virar and Chandrapur. In these corporations, Congress was the single largest party in two (Chandrapur and Latur) and in alliance with Sena UBT was leading in Parbhani.Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis said people voted for the BJP-led Mahayuti as they wanted "honesty and development"."Mahayuti and BJP offered a developmental agenda. We have received a record-breaking mandate in many municipal corporations," Fadnavis said in Mumbai.PM Narendra Modi also acknowledged BJP's wins in the state's civic polls. "Thank you Maharashtra! The dynamic people of the state bless the NDA's agenda of pro-people good governance," Modi said in a post on X.Of the five corporations where Mahayuti didn't win, Vasai and Virar municipal corporation went to Hitendra Thakur's Bahujan Vikas Aaghadi (BVA) with 71 of the 115 seats. BJP and Shiv Sena had joined hands here but secured the second position with 44 seats.Maharashtra Congress unit president Harshvardhan Sapkal said: "We have fought an ideological battle regardless of wins or losses. The picture that has emerged shows Congress may have mayors in five cities, 350 corporators."BJP's poorest performance on Friday was perhaps in Malegaon, where The Indian Secular Largest Assembly of Maharashtra (ISLAM) party floated by former NCP MLA Asif Shaikh emerged the single largest party with 35 of the 84 seats.

The All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) was in second place with 21 seats. BJP secured only two seats in the powerloom town.While both factions of NCP came together in Parbhani, the Ajit Pawar-led faction won 11 seats, while the Sharad Pawar-led group won none. Sena (UBT) spokesperson Sushma Andhare said: "Like many other places, Parbhani saw a battle between money power versus people's power, and the latter won," she said.On the shrinking representation of the opposition parties, Dr Sanhita Joshi, assistant professor at department of civics and politics in Mumbai University, said it suggested "a structural narrowing of political alternatives"."There is now hardly any major difference between ideologically different political parties with respect to core urban development strategies," Joshi said.