BJP Captures India's Richest Civic Body, Ends Thackeray Dominance in BMC

• BJP-Eknath Shinde Shiv Sena Mahayuti secured a clear majority in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections, winning 118 out of 227 seats.
• BJP emerged as the single largest party with 89 seats, while Shinde Shiv Sena won 29 seats, ending the Thackeray family's nearly three-decade dominance.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi thanked Maharashtra, and Chief Minister Fadnavis hailed it as a victory for development.
• Key factors included the strong Mahayuti alliance, Devendra Fadnavis's leadership, division of opposition votes, a shift to a development narrative, and a strong Hindutva pitch.
• Shiv Sena (UBT) secured 65 seats and MNS got 6 seats, indicating a fragmentation of the opposition.

Why It Matters: BJP-Shinde alliance secured a historic BMC victory, ending Thackeray's long reign through strategic campaigning and unity.