Fadnavis Emerges as BJP's Power Centre in Maharashtra

Mumbai: The results of the municipal corporation elections have reinforced Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis’s position as a key strategist and power centre within the BJP and the ruling Mahayuti alliance. The party’s performance across several urban local bodies is being viewed as an endorsement of the BJP’s organisational strength and campaign planning under Mr. Fadnavis’s leadership, particularly in urban Maharashtra. The BJP has won more than 15 corporations on its own, while the BJP-led Mahayuti is set to form councils in 23 to 25 municipal corporations. Party insiders said Mr. Fadnavis was personally involved in campaign planning and voter outreach.

Mr. Fadnavis led an extensive campaign, participating in 77 events across the State. These included 37 public meetings and roadshows, with major rallies in Mumbai, Nagpur and Pune, along with outreach programmes in Nashik, Solapur, Thane, Kalyan, Vasai-Virar and Navi Mumbai. Roadshows were also held in Ichalkaranji, Chandrapur, Amravati, Jalgaon and Pimpri-Chinchwad.

“Mr. Fadnavis did not make allegations in any of the 28 corporations except the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), which is ruled by the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT). He remained focused on the development agenda and his vision for the respective civic bodies,” a party insider said.

Maharashtra BJP’s election campaign in-charge and MLC Shrikant Bhartiya told this newspaper that the party fought the municipal elections on a development plank. “Mr. Fadnavis ensured the party stayed focused on development. Even when Opposition parties attempted to derail the narrative, we remained committed and compelled them to present their own development plans,” he said.

Mr. Bhartiya said the BJP contested the civic elections projecting Mr. Fadnavis’s leadership. “We showcased the development carried out under Mr. Fadnavis in the State. We have successfully conveyed to voters that he is synonymous with development—a leader with vision backed by action,” he said.

He also said the party altered its traditional communication strategy. “Instead of relying only on rallies, we conducted interviews of Mr. Fadnavis with well-known personalities in Thane, Pune, Navi Mumbai, Nagpur and other cities. These were live-telecast at the ward level through our internal network by installing LED screens,” Mr. Bhartiya said.

Veteran political analyst Pratap Asbe said that, with the backing of the BJP’s central leadership, Mr. Fadnavis has been managing the party’s affairs in Maharashtra almost single-handedly. “There is no challenge to his leadership within the State BJP. Mr. Fadnavis is a sharp and astute politician who understands election management and knows how to keep the Opposition fragmented, particularly in Mumbai. This played a crucial role in the BJP’s success in the country’s financial capital. In addition, he commands significant resources, including organisational strength and administrative reach,” Mr. Asbe said.