Mumbai, Dec 31 (NationPress) In a remarkable twist, the established battlegrounds of Maharashtra's political sphere have been thrown into disarray as the elections for 29 Municipal Corporations approach. The key political factions – the ruling Mahayuti and the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) – have struggled to uphold a consistent seat-sharing arrangement, resulting in a perplexing situation where allies in one region become fierce competitors in another.

As of Tuesday, the final day for nominations, the political arena is so divided that leaders may find themselves criticizing a party at a rally in one city, only to commend the same party in a different city later in the day.

Until Monday, it was anticipated that the BJP and Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena would collaborate to contest the majority of the seats. However, by Tuesday, significant fractures began to surface within the Mahayuti coalition. Likewise, the Congress has established various local partnerships in different cities, complicating the MVA's national perception of unity.

In an unexpected turn, the two factions of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), led by Ajit Pawar and Sharad Pawar, who are rivals at the state level, have united for the municipal elections in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad. In contrast, Ajit Pawar’s NCP, which is running independently in Nagpur, has allied with the BJP in Akola.

The ruling Mahayuti coalition has failed to reach consensus in 24 out of 29 municipal corporations. In these regions, the involved parties (BJP, Shinde’s Shiv Sena, and Ajit Pawar’s NCP) will compete against one another. The affected areas include Jalna, Parbhani, Latur, Amravati, Pimpri-Chinchwad, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Solapur, Akola, Malegaon, Nanded, Nagpur, Sangli, Nashik, Dhule, Pune, Mumbai, Thane, Ulhasnagar, Navi Mumbai, Mira-Bhayandar, Bhiwandi, and Vasai-Virar.

The BJP-NCP (Ajit Pawar) collaboration is limited to only Akola, Ahilyanagar, and Panvel. Conversely, the BJP-Shiv Sena (Shinde) partnership exists solely in Chandrapur, Nagpur, Mumbai, Thane, Kalyan-Dombivli, and Bhiwandi. Additionally, the Mahayuti parties will confront each other directly in four locations: Ichalkaranji (friendly contests), Kolhapur, Jalgaon, and Panvel.

As for the Maha Vikas Aghadi, it has also encountered widespread fragmentation, with the alliance disbanding in 17 regions, including Nagpur, Malegaon, Parbhani, Latur, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Nanded, Sangli, Kolhapur, Jalgaon, Pune, Mumbai, Thane, Ulhasnagar, Navi Mumbai, Mira-Bhayandar, Bhiwandi, and Vasai-Virar.

The MVA remains cohesive in only five areas: Panvel, Jalna, Solapur (including MNS), Nashik (including MNS), and Dhule. Moreover, the Congress has allied with the Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) solely in Mumbai. A similar initiative was attempted in Pune but failed due to conflicts among local leaders.

In terms of the Thackeray-MNS-Sharad Pawar dynamics, these parties have formed a coalition in Mumbai, Thane, Ulhasnagar, and Kalyan-Dombivli.

Several major cities are witnessing a surge of activity as parties attempt to forge alliances, although some have suddenly reversed their decisions at the last minute. In Mumbai, a complex electoral contest is emerging. The Congress has joined forces with the Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA). The Uddhav Thackeray-led Sena (UBT) has allied with MNS and Sharad Pawar’s NCP. The BJP and Shinde’s Shiv Sena remain united here.

In Pune, showcasing an unusual instance of “family unity,” the Ajit Pawar and Sharad Pawar factions of the NCP have formed an alliance. They are up against a coalition comprising the Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT), and MNS. The BJP is allied with the RPI, while Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena is contesting independently.

In Thane, the BJP and Shiv Sena are collaborating, while the Ajit Pawar-led NCP is contesting solo. Meanwhile, Shiv Sena (UBT), MNS, and Sharad Pawar’s NCP have formed a partnership, with the Congress fighting independently.

Nagpur, the home base of CM Devendra Fadnavis, witnesses a BJP-Shinde Sena alliance. However, the Congress, BSP, and Ajit Pawar’s NCP are all contesting as independents.

In Pimpri-Chinchwad, similar to Pune, both NCP factions are united. The BJP continues its alliance with the RPI, while the Shinde Sena, Congress, and VBA are all running solo. The Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and Latur see a total disintegration of significant alliances, with the BJP, Shinde Sena, and Shiv Sena (UBT) all contesting independently.

The “pick-and-choose” approach to these local alliances has left both voters and party workers in a state of confusion. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy CM Eknath Shinde will campaign together in Mumbai and Thane, yet will be compelled to oppose each other’s candidates in numerous other corporations.

The data suggest that local political dynamics have completely overridden state-level agreements. With the Mahayuti split in 24 cities and the MVA in 17, these elections promise to feature highly localized and multifaceted contests.

Political analysts believe that this “unprecedented swapping of friends and foes” signifies the critical nature of local body elections, where regional supremacy often takes precedence over state-level ideological agreements. With no clear universal “opponent” across the 29 corporations, the 2026 municipal elections are poised to be the most unpredictable in Maharashtra's history.

(Sanjay Jog can be contacted at sanjay.j@ians.in)