4 min readMumbaiJan 19, 2026 08:53 PM IST
First published on: Jan 19, 2026 at 08:50 PM IST
Amid intense post-poll manoeuvring in Mumbai’s civic body and an increasing fear among the Congress over the possibility of Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) indirectly aiding the Bharatiya Janata Party in mayoral elections by abstaining from voting, the Congress is growing increasingly wary of shifting political equations in key municipal corporations across Maharashtra, particularly Chandrapur and Parbhani.
In Bhiwandi, the Congress is treading cautiously as it has emerged as the single largest party but remains three votes short of a majority in the municipal corporation.
On Monday, Shiv Sena (UBT) Chandrapur president Sandip Girhe said his party would align with any formation willing to offer it the mayor’s post. “I am not naming any party. But we will go with the party which is ready to give us the mayoral post,” Girhe said, hinting that even an alliance with the BJP was not being ruled out.
In Chandrapur’s 66-member civic body, the Congress has 27 corporators, followed by the BJP with 23. The Shiv Sena (UBT) has six members, while the Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi has two.
Congress sources said infighting between party MLA and legislative group leader Vijay Wadettiwar and Chandrapur Lok Sabha MP Pratibha Dhanorkar has weakened the party’s position. The two leaders are said to be at odds over the choice of the mayoral candidate and committee heads, delaying alliance talks and complicating negotiations.
Former minister and Chandrapur MLA Sudhir Mungantiwar on Monday claimed that a group of Congress corporators was willing to cross over to the BJP, arguing that aligning with the BJP would bring development to the district.
Dismissing these claims, Maharashtra Congress chief Harshavardhan Sapkal said, “One should ignore the rumours. The Congress will have its mayor.”
Similar uncertainty looms in Parbhani in the Marathwada region. In the 65-member municipal corporation, the Shiv Sena (UBT) has emerged as the single largest party with 25 seats, while its ally Congress has won 12. The BJP has also secured 12 seats, and the Ajit Pawar-led NCP has won 11.
On the day the results were declared, Parbhani Lok Sabha MP Sanjay Jadhav announced that the Shiv Sena (UBT) and Congress would share the mayor and deputy mayor posts. However, changing political equations could still impact the existing power balance.
The Shiv Sena (UBT) has sought to clarify its position. “We want to be extremely clear to say this that we will not make any move that will benefit either the BJP or Shinde led party,” said party spokesperson Harshal Pradhan.
In Bhiwandi, the 90-member municipal corporation has thrown up a fractured mandate. The Congress has won 30 seats, followed by the BJP with 22. The Shinde-led Shiv Sena and Sharad Pawar-led NCP-SP have won 12 seats each, while the Samajwadi Party has six and others seven.
Despite its alliance with the NCP-SP, the Congress still falls three members short of a majority. In a bid to consolidate support, Maharashtra Congress chief Harshvardhan Sapkal on Monday invited all newly elected Congress corporators from Bhiwandi to the party headquarters for a felicitation event.
NCP-SP MLA Jitendra Awhad told The Indian Express that his party would stand by the Congress. “We will achieve numbers and we will have our mayor in Bhiwandi,” Awhad said.
The Congress is growing increasingly wary of shifting political equations in key municipal corporations. (PTI Photo) 
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