The Aryavarth Express
Jalgaon (Maharashtra): Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) and the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) will jointly contest the upcoming Jalgaon Municipal Corporation elections, with seat-sharing finalised at 38 seats for Shiv Sena (UBT) and 37 seats for NCP-SP, party leader Santosh Choudhary announced on Sunday.
Speaking to reporters after a meeting with Shiv Sena (UBT) leaders, Choudhary expressed confidence that the alliance would perform strongly in the local body elections. “NCP-SP and Shiv Sena (UBT) will contest the elections with full strength and motivate party workers to ensure a clear majority. The Uddhav Thackeray group will contest 38 seats, while the Sharad Pawar group will contest 37 seats,” he said.
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Samant said the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) partners are also holding discussions with the Congress ahead of the polls. He added that talks are underway with the Ajit Pawar-led NCP as well, stating that the alliance is open to including all like-minded parties opposed to the BJP.
“Our Maha Vikas Aghadi meeting has just concluded here. We have finalised the alliance between Shiv Sena (UBT) and the Sharad Pawar-led NCP. Discussions with Congress are ongoing, and if other parties wish to join us, we are ready to take them along,” Samant said.
Polling for the Jalgaon Municipal Corporation will be held on January 15, 2026, along with elections to 28 other municipal bodies across Maharashtra. Results for all 29 municipal corporations, including Jalgaon and Mumbai, will be declared on January 16.
The upcoming local body elections in Maharashtra are witnessing shifting political alignments, with both the Mahayuti and Maha Vikas Aghadi forming different combinations for different civic polls.
On Sunday, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar announced an alliance with the NCP-SP for the Pimpri-Chinchwad municipal elections, calling it a moment of “family unity.” The two parties are also contesting the Pune civic polls together.
However, for the high-profile Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections, the NCP has decided to contest independently and has announced a list of 37 candidates. The BJP and the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, meanwhile, have finalised a seat-sharing agreement for 207 seats in the BMC polls.
Mumbai BJP chief Amit Satam said the BJP will contest 128 seats, while the Shiv Sena will contest 79 seats, with decisions on the remaining 20 seats to be taken later at the leadership level. He expressed confidence that the Mahayuti would retain control of the BMC.
Adding a new dimension to the Mumbai civic polls, estranged cousins Uddhav Thackeray and Raj Thackeray have joined hands, highlighting the ‘Marathi Manoos’ plank. Meanwhile, the Congress has allied with Prakash Ambedkar’s Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA), which will contest 62 seats in the BMC elections.
