Maharashtra Civic Body Polls 2026: Maharashtra’s richest civic body has become a battleground for identity versus development. The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) – led by BJP, Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena and Ajit Pawar’s NCP are likely to enjoy a clean sweep after dominating the 2025 local body elections with 207 president posts against MVA’s meagre 44.
Uddhay Thackeray’s Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) and Raj Thackeray’s Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) are reigniting the Marathi manoos pride. In recent public gatherings, the Thackeray cousins tried to degrade the people of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. With 227 wards and ₹60,000 crore budgets at stake, is this a regional pride clash or a national mandate reaffirmation?
Maharashtra Civic Body Polls 2026-Marathi Pride vs Nation First
Raj Thackeray has positioned MNS as the original sons-of-the-soil guardian of Mumbai. The rhetoric of Raj echoes the glory of 2000s when MNS was able to snatch BMC seats from Shiv Sena, promising anti-migrant policies and Marathi job quotas. However, the “Nation First” infrastructure vows of BJP with metro expansions, pothole-free roads and SRA housing is likely to win the BMC elections for the NDA.
Comeback or Clean Sweep?
The comeback of Raj Thackeray hinges on youth mobilization and viral rallies in Marathi bastions such as Mahim and Dadar. MNS is claiming 20-30 winnable wards, exploiting NDA seat-sharing tensions but the dominance of BJP is irking allies. Yet, NDA’s war chest and Fadnavis’ Nagpur machine signal a hands-down victory, mirroring 2025 sweeps.
Slum voters, which constitute 40 percent of Mumbai’s population, hold the key. The redevelopment promises of NDA versus the eviction fears of MNS would be the key battle. The roar of Raj may echo in the ears of a very few but it is clear that the development machine of NDA would hum to victory, securing the golden goose of BMC for the Maharashtra model of Indian PM Narendra Modi.