Maharashtra has witnessed some of the most unexpected twists and turns in politics over the last three years, with leaders suddenly switching sides. Now, just a couple of months ahead of the major civic polls season in the state—where elections will be held for most of Maharashtra’s 27 municipal corporations and about 32 district councils across 36 districts—political leaders are testing the waters for new seat-sharing alliances.
One notable development is the possible rapprochement between Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena and Raj Thackeray’s Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) in Mumbai, as well as between Shiv Sena and Sharad Pawar’s NCP in Thane. Meanwhile, the BJP has taken a dual approach: it has decided to pursue seat-sharing with Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena faction in Mumbai but plans to contest independently in Thane.
The situation in cities like Pune and Nashik remains uncertain. Local leaders are hesitant, unsure how aspirants will respond if decisions about candidatures are made abruptly—whether granting or denying tickets.
Just a few days ago, MNS chief Raj Thackeray visited Uddhav Thackeray’s residence in Bandra. The cousins spent over two hours discussing various possibilities. The buzz is that they believe surviving the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections depends on forging a seat-sharing deal and announcing a reunion after nearly 20 years as separate political forces.
On the BJP front, top brass are holding continuous meetings with leaders from cities, districts, and tehsils across Maharashtra to finalize their seat-sharing strategy with alliance partners. Recent reports suggest the BJP has nearly decided to contest the Mumbai city and suburban polls as part of the Mahayuti alliance, allocating a significant number of seats to Eknath Shinde’s faction and some to Ajit Pawar’s NCP.
However, the strategy for Thane and Navi Mumbai is still under debate. BJP leaders, including MLA Sanjay Kelkar, have been advocating that the party fight independently in Thane. Thane’s political landscape offers a compelling case study, having seen rapid shifts over the years.
Balasaheb Thackeray’s Shiv Sena first established itself as the ruling party in the Thane Municipal Corporation and remained dominant until the BJP started gaining ground during the 2012 municipal polls. In 2023, Eknath Shinde broke away from Uddhav Thackeray to align with the BJP. Now, Eknath Shinde’s faction, the BJP, and Sharad Pawar’s NCP all hold significant presence there.
Key questions remain: Will the BJP fight alone in Thane? Will Uddhav Thackeray strike an agreement with leaders like Jitendra Awhad? Will the Congress contest as part of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) in Thane? The BJP’s final decision will largely depend on how the political dynamics evolve in the coming weeks.
Adding to the complexity, recent heavy floods have devastated kharif crops across many districts in the Marathwada region and southern Maharashtra, including Solapur district. The region received nearly three times its average rainfall in September, causing torrential damage to thousands of hectares of farmland, villages, and livestock.
The state government is now focusing on providing relief to affected farmers. However, observers believe that the government may struggle to meet the extensive demands of farmers, turning this issue into a significant political challenge that could impact the district council (zilla parishad) polls.
In light of these developments, alliance partners in the ruling Mahayuti may opt to stay united and contest district council polls together—mirroring the assembly poll alliance. This approach may help manage growing resentment and anti-incumbency sentiments among rural populations, particularly farmers.
Consequently, Maharashtra could witness an unprecedented pattern in its political alliances: in some regions—especially Mumbai and distant districts like Beed and Nanded—alliances might remain intact, while in urban centers such as Thane and Pune, alliances could break apart.
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**About the Author**
Rohit Chandavarkar is a senior journalist with over 31 years of experience working with leading newspaper brands and television channels in Mumbai and Pune.
https://www.freepressjournal.in/analysis/maharashtra-civic-polls-2025-shifting-alliances-ahead-as-thackeray-cousins-explore-reunion-bjp-plans-mixed-strategy-across-cities
