Mahayuti will win Maharashtra local polls due to good governance, relief measures: Shinde

Maharashtra’s ruling Mahayuti alliance will receive public support in the upcoming local body elections due to its focus on development and governance, the State’s Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said on Sunday (November 2, 2025).

Speaking to reporters after performing the Kartiki Ekadashi puja at the Vitthal temple in Pandharpur, Mr. Shinde said the government had extended support to farmers affected by unseasonal rains by announcing a relief package of ₹32,000 crore, which was disbursed during Diwali. He added that a decision on farm loan waivers would be taken by June 30, 2026, following recommendations from a committee expected to submit its report by the first week of April.

Mr. Shinde also announced the approval of a ₹120 crore development plan for pollution control in the Chandrabhaga river, a sacred site for Warkaris visiting Pandharpur.

“People give importance to work, and our agenda is clear. Our agenda is development,” Mr. Shinde said, adding that the alliance had secured a landslide victory in the Assembly election and expected similar support in the local polls.

United Opposition protest

His remarks came a day after the Opposition held a protest march in Mumbai against alleged irregularities in the voters’ list. The Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), comprising the Congress, the Shiv Sena (UBT), and the Nationalist Congress Party (SP), along with the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena, accused the Election Commission of ignoring issues such as duplicate entries, wrongful deletions, and additions in the State’s electoral roll.

The protest, called the ‘Satyacha Morcha’ (March for Truth), saw a rare show of unity among key Opposition leaders, including Uddhav Thackeray, Sharad Pawar, Raj Thackeray, and Balasaheb Thorat. Thousands of supporters marched from Fashion Street to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) headquarters in Mumbai, alleging large-scale irregularities in the voters’ list.

The Opposition claimed that nearly one crore bogus or duplicate entries had been added across constituencies, citing examples such as voters registered at public toilets and official residences. They demanded that local body elections be postponed until the electoral rolls are thoroughly corrected, accusing the Election Commission of turning a blind eye to the discrepancies. The Supreme Court has directed the Maharashtra State Election Commission to conduct the local body polls by January 31, 2026.