What’s at play in Maharashtra local body polls? BJP on expansion mode, its allies crying foul and Opposition teetering on the edge

Frustrated with the BJP’s aggressive tactics and political manoeuvring, NCP minister Manikrao Kokate said, “The BJP is a diluted party. They are good at splitting and poaching.”

People queue up at a polling booth to cast their vote in the ongoing civic body polls in Maharashtra, on Tuesday. (Express photo by Narendra Vaskar)

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In a candid admission, he said, “Mahayuti is witnessing the conflict. The election struggle is in the ruling alliance. There is no opposition on the field.” He further asserted that the BJP is engaging in splits here and there and creating divisions.

In Konkan, BJP president Chavan warned Shiv Sena, saying, “I have to safeguard the alliance till December 2.” Though the remark was an outburst following Shiv Sena MLA Nilesh Rane’s sting operation to expose the BJP’s alleged misuse of money to bribe voters, the inbuilt animosity within the ruling trio came to the fore.

Fadnavis, however, downplayed the tensions. “In local body elections, local units drive the alliances. But we have ensured that wherever the BJP and its ruling parties are contested against each other, there is no bitterness. It should be friendly fights.”

With the Opposition parties on the back foot and top leaders Sharad Pawar, Uddhav Thackeray, and Raj Thackeray adopting a lackadaisical approach to campaigning, the fight narrowed to the BJP versus Shiv Sena and the NCP. For the Congress, the majority of star campaigners stayed away, leaving it to state president Harshvardhan Sapkal to face the political heat and dust.

While CM Fadnavis led the campaign from the front, holding 37 rallies covering all five regions of Maharashtra, Deputy CMs Shinde and Ajit Pawar followed with more than two dozen rallies each to maximise voter outreach for their respective parties.

Fadnavis is the BJP’s undisputed leader, guiding the party through the local body elections. The BJP has adopted a multifaceted approach, addressing various segments of the electorate with initiatives ranging from Hindutva and development to the populist Ladki Bahin Yojna.

A voter shows her inked finger after casting her vote, on Tuesday. (Express photo by Narendra Vaskar)

On the other hand, Shinde has not hesitated to position himself as the leader of the common man, highlighting the welfare schemes implemented during his tenure as chief minister to uplift the poor and women.

In the elections, Ajit Pawar, who also holds the finance portfolio, has leveraged his authority by promising development funds, contingent on the NCP securing a decisive victory.

Difference from 2024 Lok Sabha, Assembly polls

In the 2024 Lok Sabha and Assembly elections, Shinde, Fadnavis, and Ajit Pawar presented a united front, campaigning together under the Mahayuti banner with a shared goal of opposing the Maha Vikas Aghadi. However, the political landscape during the local body elections proved quite different.

In the last year, since the Fadnavis government came to power in Maharashtra on December 5, the conflict within the ruling coalition has deepened. The mistrust between the trio has widened, resulting in an ugly spat in public. The differences within Mahayuti arising out of a power tussle consolidated as each political party worked independently to expand its organisation electorally.

After the landslide victory in the Assembly polls last year, the BJP emerged as the single largest party with 132 seats out of 288. Shinde (57 seats) and Ajit Pawar (41  seats) strengthened their resolve to consolidate their individual parties further, using local bodies as a perfect platform.

BJP minister and election campaign committee chairman Chandrashekhar Bawankule said, “The local body elections are extremely important for us as it tests our presence at the grassroots. The BJP has always believed in a political model from panchayat to parliament, making no discrimination between Lok Sabha, Assembly or nagar panchayat polls.”

The top central and state leadership, he argued, believes that a uniform political arrangement promotes good governance and rapid state development.

BJP’s ambitions in Maharashtra

Beyond good governance lies the BJP’s long-cherished dream of attaining absolute power in Maharashtra. To realise this ambition, the right-wing party has to consolidate its electoral base at the grassroots through local bodies.

A senior BJP functionary pointed out, “The secret of the Congress-NCP rule in Maharashtra for several decades was its unshakable electoral base through a strong cooperative network model. They secured their vote bank so firmly, exercising the right caste composition of Maratha, Dalits, and tribals. In addition, their economic model gave them an edge in the past.”

In 2014, he argued that the Narendra Modi model systematically provided a credible alternative and helped dislodge Congress and the NCP in Maharashtra, along with the party’s outreach to OBCs, tribals, and a significant number of Marathas.

The BJP’s decision to split the two regional parties, the undivided Shiv Sena and the NCP, was a strategic move to weaken both Sharad Pawar and Uddhav Thackeray. And the BJP, to a great extent, succeeded, as the Shiv Sena (UBT) and the NCP (SP) failed to take to the field aggressively in the first phase of elections.

NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar said, “The ruling parties’ leaders are linking the flow of funds to elicit the support of people. This is incorrect. The politicians should ask people to judge them by their work.”

The counting for these polls has been rescheduled from December 3 to December 21. The SEC has not announced the elections for the second and third phases of the zilla parishad and municipal corporation polls. These elections are likely to be held in late December and mid-January.