Maharashtra’s fractured political landscape once again produced a surprising narrative in the Thane Municipal Corporation elections, highlighting the enduring presence of dynastic politics. The Mhatre family delivered a rare electoral feat by winning three different wards while contesting on tickets of rival parties. Prahlad Mhatre emerged victorious as a Maharashtra Navnirman Sena candidate, Rekha Mhatre secured a win on a Shiv Sena ticket, and Raveen Mhatre clinched a ward for the BJP. Despite this personal success, the overall outcome in Thane proved disappointing for Prahlad, as the BJP–Shiv Sena alliance swept the civic polls. A similar family success was also recorded in the Jalgaon Municipal Corporation elections, where three members of another family won, all contesting on Shiv Sena tickets.
Thane, traditionally a stronghold of the undivided Shiv Sena and the home base of Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, saw a clear consolidation of power this time. The BJP and the Shinde-led Sena fought the election together, while another Mahayuti ally, Ajit Pawar’s NCP, chose to contest independently. Of the 131 seats in the Thane civic body, the Shinde Sena fielded candidates in 87 wards, while the BJP contested 40. The remaining seats were fought by other parties and independents, reflecting the complex political arithmetic at play in one of Maharashtra’s most politically significant municipal corporations.
On the other side, the civic polls marked the reunion of estranged cousins Uddhav Thackeray and Raj Thackeray after 20 years, as they jointly contested the Maharashtra municipal elections. Their alliance extended to Thane and included support from Sharad Pawar’s NCP, but the coalition was decisively defeated by the BJP–Sena combine. The Congress chose to go solo, contesting 96 seats. In 2017, the undivided Shiv Sena under Uddhav Thackeray had won 67 of 131 seats, forming the council independently. However, Eknath Shinde already enjoyed an edge, with 66 of those corporators later backing him. Barring the 1987–1993 period, the undivided Sena has largely dominated Thane, driven by the legacy of Balasaheb Thackeray and Anand Dighe.