Maharashtra Civic Polls Splinter as Parties File Rival Slates Across Cities

Overview

• The ruling Mahayuti failed to finalise seat-sharing in 24 of 29 corporations, forcing the BJP, Shinde Sena and Ajit Pawar’s NCP into direct contests in multiple cities.
• Shinde Sena is contesting solo in 12 municipal corporations, outpacing the BJP’s nine and Ajit Pawar’s NCP’s eight, according to local reports.
• Rival NCP factions have teamed up for Pune, Pimpri-Chinchwad and Parbhani, with tactical use of each other’s symbols in Pune to leverage local brand strength.
• In Pune, local Shiv Sena leaders filed for all 165 PMC seats after claiming the BJP offered only 16, while the BJP also lodged 165 nominations including seven RPI(A) candidates on a common symbol.
• Opposition arrangements also vary by city, sharpening the likelihood of multi-cornered contests across most of the 29 civic bodies until withdrawals settle final matchups.