Maharashtra Results: BJP Sweeps Despite Ajit Pawar’s Uncle-Nephew Alliance, Wins Both Strongholds

Mumbai: The Maharashtra municipal election results have dealt a severe blow to Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar. Despite joining forces with his uncle Sharad Pawar’s Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) in an effort to reclaim their traditional strongholds, Ajit Pawar’s faction failed to secure victory in any of the key municipal corporations, including Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad. The BJP emerged dominant, winning in both regions.

Ajit Pawar had invested significant resources in these contests, especially in Pimpri-Chinchwad, considered one of the wealthiest municipal corporations in Asia. During campaigning, he leveled allegations of corruption against the BJP, yet his party was reduced to fewer than 40 seats, unable to break the BJP’s stronghold. In Pune, where he serves as the overseeing minister, Ajit Pawar also suffered a decisive defeat, highlighting the party’s declining influence in its core region.

In Mumbai, Ajit Pawar had entrusted senior party leader Nawab Malik to lead the campaign. The decision to contest independently, however, backfired. Despite claims of being a potential kingmaker, Malik’s leadership delivered only a handful of seats out of the 30 targeted, with even his brother losing his contest.

The results underline the BJP’s sweeping influence across Maharashtra, from Mumbai to western Maharashtra, and mark a significant setback for the Pawar family’s political comeback strategy. Even the combined efforts of Sharad Pawar’s faction, with active campaigning by Supriya Sule and MLA Rohit Pawar, could not overcome the BJP’s well-organized campaign machinery.

The election outcome sends a clear signal: despite familial alliances and historical strongholds, the BJP’s dominance in Maharashtra remains unshaken.