“Maharashtra is firmly with the BJP,” said Devendra Fadnavis, the Maharashtra chief minister. For decades, the BMC was seen as the political bastion of the Thackeray-led Shiv Sena, built on the idea of ‘Marathi asmita’. Maharashtra minister and BJP leader Nitesh Rane linked the alliance’s performance to its campaign pitch. Except for the Shiv Sena, almost all major parties had fielded candidates against him. Election officials said the remaining seats were won by the Vanchit Bahujan Aaghadi (4) and the Nationalist Congress Party (1).

Source: The Telegraph January 16, 2026 13:25 UTC