CM Fadnavis Links Hindutva to Development Following Mahayuti’s Civic Poll Victory

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has attributed the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance’s substantial success in recent municipal elections to its development agenda. He emphasized the inseparable link between Hindutva and development, stating, “Hindutva has always been our soul; one cannot differentiate our Hindutva from development.”

Election Victory and Development Focus

Fadnavis expressed gratitude to the citizens of Maharashtra, noting that the alliance is set to appoint 25 mayors following the elections. He highlighted that the Mahayuti contested these elections with a strong emphasis on governance and infrastructure enhancements.

• The BJP emerged as the largest party with 93 out of 227 seats in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).
• The Shiv Sena, BJP’s ally, secured 27 seats, contributing to the alliance’s majority.
• The BMC elections are significant as they were held after an eight-year hiatus, the last being in 2017.

Results Overview

As of Friday evening, the BJP-Shiv Sena Mahayuti was leading in numerous municipal corporations across Maharashtra. In key areas:

• The BJP was ahead in Pune Municipal Corporation with 90 seats.
• Other cities witnessing Mahayuti dominance included Pimpri-Chinchwad, Navi Mumbai, Nagpur, Nashik, Jalna, and Vasai-Virar.

Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar stated that the results reflected Mumbai’s support for the alliance’s development agenda. He remarked that the electorate had endorsed significant projects like the Metro Rail Network, Coastal Road, and Trans Harbour Link. This victory indicates a strong desire from Mumbai’s residents for further development.

Looking Ahead

Maharashtra will have a new mayor, marking a change after the term of Kishori Pednekar ended in March 2022. The people’s support is seen as a mandate for the future development of the city.

As the party leaders celebrated their victory, Minister Nitesh Rane expressed confidence that the Mahayuti alliance would dominate most mayoral positions. He noted that the election atmosphere was charged with support for the alliance’s initiatives.

Polling for 29 municipal corporations throughout Maharashtra took place on Thursday, followed by the counting of votes on Friday, leading to the significant win of the Mahayuti coalition.