BMC election result: BJP-Sena's Mahayuti eye historic win, setback for Thackerays

The BJP and Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena comfortably crossed the majority mark in the high-stakes BMC elections and are eyeing a historic victory following a fierce clash with the Thackeray cousins, according to latest trends.

Latest trends show the Mahayuti alliance ahead in over 119 wards out of the total 227 in the city. Meanwhile, the alliance of Uddhav Thackeray's Shiv Sena (UBT) and Raj Thackeray's MNS is currently leading in 67 seats. An alliance needs 114 needs to win the municipal elections.

Meanwhile, the Congress-led alliance is ahead in 12 seats.

Within minutes of the counting, which began at 10am, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi raised vote chori allegations against the Election Commission, accusing the poll panel of "gaslighting citizens". The BJP promptly hit back at Congress, with party spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla saying that the opposition is "united in defeat and delusion".

Voting for the 227-member civic body, India's largest and richest, concluded on Thursday amid tight security. Exit polls have predicted a Mahayuti sweep in the elections for the cash-rich body.

The elections, seen as a "mini-assembly" poll battle, will test the ground strength of the split factions of the Shiv Sena and the NCP, as well as the electoral prowess of the ruling Mahayuti and the Congress.

The results will also put to rest the debate over the "real Shiv Sena" in Maharashtra as it will be the first civic body election since the vertical split in the party in 2022. The undivided Shiv Sena dominated the elections since 1997. Both Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena and Uddhav Thackeray's Shiv Sena (UBT) are now battling for political legitimacy in Mumbai to emerge as the true heir to the Bal Thackeray's legacy.

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