Battle for the Wards

As critical civic polls loom, every party in Maharashtra, from the BJP to the fractured Senas, are scrambling to prove their strength at the grassroots.

Maharashtra’s political machines have roared to life. After years of delay, the state’s municipal and local body elections are finally in sight, with the Supreme Court ordering that all polls be completed by January 31, 2026. For some parties, the exercise is a chance to tighten their grip on the grassroots; for others, it is a fight for survival. As delimitation wraps up across cities and towns, time is running out and every leader knows that the road to power in Maharashtra begins in its wards.

The Shiv Sena faction led by Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde is equally determined to assert its place. Since the party split two years ago, Shinde’s camp has worked to legitimise itself as the authentic heir to Balasaheb Thackeray’s legacy. His strategy has been to showcase the achievements of both the central and state governments while ensuring his own imprint on local governance. For Shinde, the municipal polls are crucial to prove that his control over the Shiv Sena is not merely political but also popular.

Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena (UBT), by contrast, is fighting on multiple fronts — organisational, emotional and legal. Having lost the party name and its iconic bow-and-arrow symbol to the Shinde camp, Uddhav’s group has been left to rebuild from the ground up. He has intensified outreach to woo back estranged Shiv Sainiks and is holding frequent worker meetings to reinvigorate his base. His recent meetings with Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray have fuelled talk of a possible new alignment, even as he continues to maintain cordial ties with his Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) allies — the Congress and the Sharad Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party or NCP (SP). Uddhav’s balancing act reflects his dilemma: he cannot afford to alienate either Raj or his current allies ahead of the polls.

Organisational woes

The Congress, once a formidable player in Maharashtra’s municipal politics, finds itself on shaky ground. Years of organisational decay and factional strife have hollowed out its influence. While its national leadership continues its rhetorical attacks on Prime Minister Modi, these themes rarely resonate in local elections. In cities like Nagpur, the party has initiated an internal process of candidate selection through grassroots consultation with local committees instructed to hold discussions and, if needed, internal polls to avoid last-minute disputes. Yet its deeper problem remains visibility. The steady exodus of committed local leaders to rival parties has sapped its vigour.

The NCP, split between Sharad Pawar and his nephew Ajit Pawar, faces its own identity crisis. Both factions are preparing for the elections, but their strategies are clouded by ambiguity. Ajit’s faction continues to enjoy the perks of office within the Shinde-BJP government, while Sharad Pawar’s group seeks to revive its independent identity and reconnect with its traditional voter base. For ordinary voters and even local cadres, the split has created confusion. In several districts, both camps are chasing the same vote bank, potentially neutralising each other.

Meanwhile, the state’s civic machinery is whirring into motion. New ward delimitations have been approved for key municipal corporations such as Pune, Thane, and Kalyan-Dombivli. Opposition parties have accused the ruling coalition of gerrymandering ward boundaries to gain advantage. In smaller nagar panchayats and municipal councils, electoral rolls are being readied, and officials are coordinating with booth-level workers.

Advantage BJP

The BJP’s strength lies in its formidable organisational apparatus and disciplined communication machinery. Its kamal mitra and page pramukh networks ensure granular reach across districts. The party’s message of growth through infrastructure and governance is backed by tangible assets: airports, expressways, metros.

For Eknath Shinde’s Sena, the challenge is consolidation without alienating old loyalists. His alliance with the BJP delivers stability and administrative heft, but his local lieutenants still face scepticism from long-time Uddhav supporters. Unsurprisingly, Shinde’s rallies lean heavily on emotion, often invoking Balasaheb’s memory while promising continuity and order.

Uddhav’s camp, meanwhile, leans on sentiment and identity. His speeches recall the MVA government’s pandemic management and urban initiatives, framing the split as an act of betrayal and urging voters to reward loyalty. Yet the absence of the bow-and-arrow symbol continues to sow confusion among voters. His legal challenge to reclaim it, to be heard by the Supreme Court next month, could prove decisive for his morale and mobilisation.

The Congress’s prospects hinge on whether it can suppress internal dissent long enough to select credible candidates. A disciplined effort could help it regain footholds in urban pockets with strong minority or Dalit populations. If infighting continues, however, it risks further marginalisation. As senior leaders in Pune and Nagpur privately concede, the party’s biggest obstacle is not the BJP but its own disunity.

The two NCPs remain wildcards. Sharad Pawar retains charisma and grassroots goodwill; Ajit Pawar commands administrative leverage and access to state resources. Their tactical decisions — whether to contest independently or forge local pacts — could tilt outcomes in key municipalities.

Among smaller forces, Raj Thackeray’s MNS could play spoiler. His oratory and appeal among urban Marathi youth make him a potential disruptor, especially in Mumbai, Thane and Nashik.

Civic elections determine who wields power in neighbourhoods, controls local patronage, and commands loyalty at the street corner. But confusion over alliances, ward boundaries and candidate lists has left many party workers uneasy. Still, enthusiasm remains high.

Ultimately, Maharashtra’s municipal elections form the foundation of the state’s political pyramid. The results will offer an early reading of the urban mood before the 2029 Assembly elections. For now, the BJP-Shinde alliance appears better placed. Yet, the volatile chemistry among the Sena factions, the NCP’s divided loyalties, and the Congress’s quest for revival ensure that the contest remains open-ended.

In this fierce battle for the wards, every party knows one truth that it is local sweat which still fuels the engine of State power.

(The writer is a political observer. Views personal.)