BJP-led Mahayuti sweeps Panvel civic polls; MVA limited to 18 seats

The BJP-led Mahayuti won 59 of 78 seats in Panvel Municipal Corporation elections, dominating the opposition and reinforcing Prashant Thakur's leadership.

PANVEL: The BJP-led Mahayuti registered a decisive victory in the Panvel Municipal Corporation elections, securing an overwhelming majority and relegating the Shetkari Kamgar Paksha (Shekap) (PWP) led Mahavikas Aghadi and other opposition groups to the margins.

File Photo / Representational Image

In the 78-member civic body, the Mahayuti, comprising the Bharatiya Janata Party, Shiv Sena, Nationalist Congress Party and Republican Party of India, won 53 seats in contested polls. The alliance had earlier secured six seats unopposed, taking its overall tally to 59 seats, well above the majority mark of 40. The opposition collectively managed to win 18 seats, while one independent candidate was elected unopposed. PWP won 9, Congress 4, Shiv Sena UBT 5.

Polling was held on Thursday for 71 seats, with counting completed on Friday. Mahayuti candidates led across most wards, many by comfortable margins, sharply limiting the opposition’s presence in the civic body.

The verdict is widely seen as a continuation of the Thakur family’s political dominance in Panvel, where a weakened and fragmented opposition failed to mount a credible challenge. The BJP-led alliance’s civic sweep mirrors its earlier victories in the Lok Sabha and assembly elections in the region, indicating a consolidation of power rather than a closely contested mandate.

The results have further reinforced the position of BJP MLA Prashant Thakur as the central political force in Panvel’s local politics. “This victory is a firm endorsement of development, trust and capable leadership by the people of Panvel,” Thakur said. “We are committed to delivering the expected progress to citizens and will continue the momentum of development.”

He added, “The mandate will be used to accelerate infrastructure projects, strengthen civic amenities and position Panvel as a key urban centre within the Mumbai Metropolitan Region.”

From the opposition camp, former MLC Balram Patil of the Mahavikas Aghadi expressed dissatisfaction with the outcome. “We raised local issues during the campaign, but in this election it appears that money and bogus entries prevailed. The real issues and the right to vote did not receive the importance they deserved,” he said.

Results

Total seats: 78

BJP-led Mahayuti: 59 (BJP 55, Shiv Sena 2, NCP 2)

Won after polling: 53

Won unopposed: 6

Mahavikas Aghadi and others: 18

Independent: 1 (unopposed)