Maharashtra deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde on Saturday voiced confidence in the ruling alliance’s performance in the ongoing civic elections. Speaking to ANI, he said the Mahayuti alliance had successfully contested the Lok Sabha and assembly elections and was poised to secure victory in the municipal polls as well."The Mahayuti alliance contested the Lok Sabha elections, it contested the assembly elections, and it will also contest the municipal elections, and the Mahayuti alliance will win." Results for two Nagar Parishads and one Nagar Panchayat were declared even before the start of counting. The BJP secured victories in Dondaicha–Varwade City Council in Dhule district, Jamner City Council in Jalgaon district, and Ungar Nagar Panchayat in Solapur district, all unopposed.
Revenue minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule also predicted a decisive mandate. Bawankule claimed voters are clearly leaning towards BJP-Mahayuti. He cited strong campaign trends and an influx of party workers in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad, projecting victories in municipal councils and upcoming corporation polls.The results are being closely watched as a precursor to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections and 28 other municipal corporation polls scheduled for January 15, with 2,869 seats and 3.48 crore voters at stake. Observers say the outcomes could offer key political signals ahead of these high-stakes civic polls.Elections for 23 municipal councils and nagar panchayats, including 143 vacant member posts, were held peacefully on Saturday, with an expected voter turnout of 60–65%.
Voting for the two-phase polls across 286 municipal bodies began on December 2 and concluded on December 20, with 67.6% turnout recorded in the first phase. Two local bodies — Angar in Solapur and Dondaicha in Dhule — saw candidates elected unopposed. In Pune district, Baramati and Phursungi-Uruli Devachi councils reported 67% and 59.7% turnout, respectively. Overall, the final turnout across the second phase was 63.02%. The results were originally scheduled to be declared on December 3, but were deferred after the Bombay High Court flagged multiple irregularities in the election process and postponed the declaration to December 21. Voters can follow real-time updates and emerging trends through the official websites of the Maharashtra State Election Commission, mahasec.maharashtra.gov.in and mahaseclec.in. The results will provide a key test for the ruling Mahayuti alliance and the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), especially amid the ongoing splits and new alliances in the civic polls.