“NDA’s Track Record Struck a Chord”: PM Modi on Maharashtra Civic Polls Win

Maharashtra civic poll results reinforce BJP’s momentum under Devendra Fadnavis, with PM Modi praising voters’ support

January 16, 2026

Devendra Fadnavis hailed as architect of BJP’s Maharashtra sweep

BJP’s First-ever BMC win signals major political shift in Maharashtra

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday thanked the people of Maharashtra after the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) registered a historic victory in the state’s civic body elections, including a landmark win in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), the country’s richest civic body.

In a post on X amid celebrations at the BJP office in Mumbai, PM Modi said the people of Maharashtra had endorsed the NDA’s governance agenda and development vision. “Thank you Maharashtra,” the Prime Minister wrote. “The dynamic people of the state bless the NDA’s agenda of pro-people good governance. The results of various municipal corporation elections indicate that the NDA’s bond with the people of Maharashtra has further deepened.”

“Our track record and vision for development have struck a chord. My gratitude to the people across Maharashtra. This is a vote to add momentum to progress and celebrate the glorious culture the state is associated with,” he added.

The BJP’s victory in the BMC is being described as a political milestone, as it marks the party’s first-ever win in the powerful civic body that controls an annual budget running into tens of thousands of crores. The outcome is being widely credited to Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who led the BJP’s campaign and strategy across the state.

Under Fadnavis’s leadership, the ruling Mahayuti alliance is seen to have decisively reshaped Maharashtra’s political landscape. By carrying forward its strong mandate from the assembly elections into the municipal polls, the BJP has reinforced the perception that public confidence in the party has only grown.

Political observers note that the results also delivered a sharp message to opposition formations. Despite multiple attempts at consolidation, traditional political combinations failed to check the BJP’s surge. Whether it was the reunion of estranged political “brothers” or tactical understandings between “uncle and nephew,” the BJP emerged dominant despite the combined strength of its rivals.

The verdict has also punctured the long-held claim of the Thackeray family’s monopoly over the Marathi vote in Mumbai. The BJP’s breakthrough in the BMC signals a major shift in the city’s political dynamics, long dominated by the Shiv Sena.

In Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad, the results delivered another clear political signal. The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), once considered a decisive force in these urban centres, failed to translate its traditional influence into electoral success. Despite coordination between the two NCP factions led by Sharad Pawar and Ajit Pawar, voters did not consolidate behind the party in the manner expected.

In the Pune Municipal Corporation, the BJP emerged with a clear upper hand, winning or leading in a significant number of wards and positioning itself to dominate the civic body. The NCP factions, even when broadly aligned, were unable to generate citywide momentum beyond their traditional strongholds.

Among opposition leaders, Uddhav Thackeray appears to be in a relatively better position compared to other rivals. While Chief Minister Eknath Shinde succeeded in making inroads into Mumbai, he was unable to completely dislodge the Thackeray brand as the face of the “Marathi Manoos” in the state’s financial and entertainment capital.

Voters in Shiv Sena strongholds continued to back Uddhav Thackeray, enabling the Shiv Sena (UBT) to put up a respectable performance. However, the loss of control over the BMC remains a major setback for the party. Since its inception, the BMC has been the Shiv Sena’s primary power centre and a key bargaining chip in its alliances.

With the civic poll results now in, the BJP-led NDA has not only consolidated its urban footprint but also sent a strong message ahead of future political contests in Maharashtra, underscoring its expanding dominance across the state.

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