Daijiworld Media Network - Mumbai

Mumbai, Jan 2: As the political battle for elections to 29 municipal corporations in Maharashtra intensifies, the ruling Mahayuti alliance has delivered a significant strategic setback to the opposition even before voting begins. A total of 64 corporators from the Mahayuti have been elected unopposed across various municipal corporations in the state.

Of these, 44 candidates belong to the Bharatiya Janata Party, while 18 are from the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena. The development has generated considerable political buzz, with Chief Minister Eknath Shinde explaining the reasons behind the alliance’s early success.

Speaking on the issue, the chief minister said that in several constituencies, opposition candidates themselves withdrew from the contest after realising that Mahayuti nominees would secure victory on the strength of their work. “Wherever opposition candidates were convinced that the Mahayuti candidate would win purely based on performance, candidates from the Maha Vikas Aghadi or independents voluntarily pulled out,” Shinde said.

He added that the work carried out by Mahayuti representatives speaks for itself. “The people-oriented decisions taken by the Mahayuti government in recent times and the development that has reached grassroots levels are reflected in these unopposed victories. Candidates from other parties have now understood where public support truly lies,” the chief minister stated.

Mahayuti leaders have expressed confidence that the strong early lead, including in key municipal corporations such as Kalyan-Dombivli, will have a positive impact on voting for the remaining seats and further strengthen the alliance’s position in the civic polls.