Shiv Sena UBT Halts BJP Wave, Wins Historic Victory in Parbhani Civic Polls

In a significant blow to the ruling alliance, Uddhav Thackeray's "Sainiks" have successfully halted the BJP's momentum, marking a historic victory for the Shiv Sena (UBT).

Amidst a statewide wave favouring the BJP and the Mahayuti alliance, the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) has secured a stunning victory in the Parbhani Municipal Corporation (PMC). This victory marks the first time that Uddhav Thackeray's party will directly govern the Parbhani civic body, ending nearly two decades of dominance by the NCP and Congress.

In a hard-fought contest, the Shiv Sena (UBT) emerged as the single largest party, significantly outperforming the ruling Mahayuti partners.

Shiv Sena UBT won 25 seats, Congress 12, BJP 12, NCP (Ajit Pawar) 11, Jan Surajya Party 3, Yashwant Sena 1 and independent 1. Shiv Sena UBT and Congress, together with the support of other parties, are expected to claim the Mayor's post.

The last time the Shiv Sena held the Mayoral post in Parbhani was in 2007 (when it was a Municipal Council). Since the council was elevated to a Municipal Corporation in 2011, power had remained with the NCP and later the Congress. This win marks the return of the Shiv Sena UBT to Parbhani after a gap of 19 years.

The victory is being credited to the unified leadership of Parbhani MP Sanjay Jadhav and MLA DrnRahul Patil. While the BJP deployed heavyweights including CM Devendra Fadnavis, State President Ravindra Chavan, and Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule, for over 200 rallies and meetings, the Thackeray faction relied almost entirely on the local influence of Jadhav and Patil.

The Shiv Sena (UBT) contested 48 seats and maintained a strategic "friendly fight" or alliance with the Congress in others, a move that successfully prevented the splitting of the anti-Mahayuti vote.

The Mahayuti partners-BJP, Shinde's Shiv Sena, and Ajit Pawar's NCP-failed to translate their state-level momentum into local success here. Despite a high-decibel campaign by Guardian Minister Meghna Bordikar and Industrial Minister Uday Samant, the alliance could not cross the 25-seat mark combined.

Reacting to the results, BJP leader Meghna Bordikar stated, "While Devendra Fadnavis's charisma has worked across the rest of the state, we have fallen short in Parbhani. We will deeply introspect and analyse the reasons behind this defeat."

Analysts suggest that the deep-rooted personal connect of MP Sanjay Jadhav, combined with a local sentiment of "regional pride" over state-directed campaigns, allowed the Thackeray faction to hold its ground.

For Uddhav Thackeray, this victory provides a vital psychological boost, proving that his faction can still defeat the combined might of the BJP-Shinde-Ajit Pawar alliance in specific regional strongholds.

(Sanjay Jog can be contacted at sanjay.j@ians.in)

- IANS