Kangana Ranaut Hails BJP’s BMC Victory, Calls It ‘Moment of Justice’ After 2020 Demolition Row
Mumbai: Actor and BJP Member of Parliament Kangana Ranaut has welcomed the Bharatiya Janata Party’s strong performance in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections, describing the outcome as both historic and personally vindicating. The BMC is India’s wealthiest municipal body and has long been dominated by the Shiv Sena.
Speaking to NDTV after early trends showed the BJP emerging as the single largest party, Ranaut congratulated Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, and the state BJP leadership for what she termed a “saffron sweep”.
“I am absolutely thrilled with the BJP’s landslide victory in the Maharashtra BMC election. I congratulate Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis ji, and the entire BJP family of Maharashtra for this incredible win,” Ranaut said. “It’s a big win for all of us.”
The result carries symbolic significance for the actor-turned-politician. In 2020, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, then controlled by the undivided Shiv Sena, demolished portions of Ranaut’s office attached to her Mumbai bungalow. The Bombay High Court later ruled the action as “nothing but malice in law”.
Referring to that episode, Ranaut said, “Those who abused me, demolished my house, called me names, and threatened me to leave Maharashtra today Maharashtra has rejected them.” She added that the verdict sent a strong message against “women-haters, bullies, and nepotism-driven politics”.
Contests and Candidates
The BJP contested 137 seats, while the Shiv Sena fielded candidates in 90 wards. The Ajit Pawar-led NCP entered the fray separately in 94 wards. Meanwhile, Shiv Sena (UBT) fielded 163 candidates, the MNS 52, the Congress 143, and the Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi 46.
According to the official results for all 227 Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation seats, the BJP emerged as the single-largest party with 89 seats, while its ally — the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena — won 29, giving the BJP-Shinde alliance a combined total of 118 seats. The Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) finished with 65 seats, the Congress secured 24, the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen eight, the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena six, and the Nationalist Congress Party three.
What Changed in Maharashtra’s Urban Politics
The outcomes of the Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad municipal elections also highlighted a broader political shift. Once considered strongholds of the Pawar political legacy, these urban centres did not consolidate behind the NCP despite coordination between the Sharad Pawar and Ajit Pawar factions.
The results suggest that the Pawar brand, which once played a decisive role in Maharashtra’s municipal politics, no longer guarantees electoral success on its own — particularly in urban regions increasingly driven by national narratives and governance performance.
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