Mumbai, 17 Jan

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has emerged as a key strategist behind the BJP's urban resurgence, steering the party to a landslide victory in the civic polls, proving that he can deliver a historic mandate with minimal involvement of the central leadership.

The BJP-led Mahayuti alliance has come to power in 25 of the 29 municipal corporations, including Mumbai, where elections were held on 15January. The saffron party alone is set to have mayors in nearly 17 municipal corporations, reflecting its expanding urban base.

The results mark Fadnavis's major electoral success since his return as the chief minister in late 2024 and are being seen as an endorsement of his leadership.

The party's performance in the civic polls has given Fadnavis a crucial boost, especially since the campaign was fought with minimal involvement from the party's central leadership.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and other senior leaders stayed away from the campaign, placing full responsibility on the state leadership.

Fadnavis on Friday said that people voted for the BJP-led Mahayuti, as they wanted honesty and development.

"BJP offered a developmental agenda. We put it before the people, and they responded positively. We have received a record-breaking mandate in many municipal corporations, and it underscores that people want honesty and development. That is why people voted for the BJP," he said.

Fadnavis led the campaign, shaped the strategy, and finalised candidates with a small group of trusted aides, a move that proved crucial to the landslide win.

The BJP's Mumbai unit Chief, Ameet Satam took charge of organisational coordination for the BMC polls, while MLCs Pravin Darekar and Prasad Lad played a decisive role in candidate selection and campaign planning for Mumbai.

Cabinet Minister Girish Mahajan successfully managed the party's campaign in Jalgaon and Nashik, securing victories in both municipal corporations, and in Solapur, Fadnavis entrusted first-term MLA Devendra Kothe with responsibility.

Despite fielding several candidates perceived as outsiders, the BJP secured a massive mandate, underlining the effectiveness of the campaign.

Fadnavis also relied on strategic inductions by bringing in local leaders to weaken the Opposition. The induction of former Congress MLAs Kunal Patil (Dhule) and Kailas Gorantyal (Jalna) ensured civic poll victories and entrusted first-time BJP MLA Rahul Awade with responsibility in the Ichalkaranji Municipal Corporation.

Fadnavis also retained his home ground, Nagpur Municipal Corporation, with a strong showing, reinforcing his hold over the city.

Although the BJP failed to retain the Amravati and Chandrapur civic bodies, which it had controlled in 2017, it captured the Nanded-Waghala Municipal Corporation, a victory achieved with the help of former chief minister and Rajya Sabha MP Ashok Chavan, who had earlier retained the civic body for the Congress.

The civic polls have highlighted Fadnavis's leadershipskills and political judgement, and the outcome is particularly significant after the BJP's poor performance in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

Fadnavis had, at the time, offered to resign, but the party leadership rejected the offer and supported him.

He later led the BJP to a strong showing in the 2024 Assembly elections, winning more than 130 seats in the 288-member House.

The civic polls were seen as a critical test of Fadnavis's leadership, and the results have reinforced his position as the most influential leader of the BJP in Maharashtra.