Mahayuti ends 25-year Congress rule in Kolhapur Municipal Corporation

The Congress suffered a setback in Kolhapur on Friday when the BJP-led Mahayuti came to power for the first time in Kolhapur Municipal Corporation (KMC). However, the party emerged as the largest party in the KMC, with 35 seats, while the BJP came in second with 25.

“We put up a hard fight, but we couldn’t succeed. A little more effort, and I think we would have easily returned to power. I want to thank the people of Kolhapur for reposing faith in us the way they did. We emerged as the largest party and we reflected the trust that people have in the Congress,” MLA Satej Patil, who led the party’s campaign in Kolhapur, told The Congress. indian express.

Out of 81 seats, while the Congress and the BJP won 35 and 25 seats respectively, the Shiv Sena won 15 and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) 4. The Shiv Sena (UBT) and an Independent won one seat each. The Mahayutis had jointly participated in the KMC elections.

The verdict comes as a blow to the Congress, which has ruled the KMC for 25 years. Although the civic body was created in 1972, the elections were not held based on party symbols but were sponsored by political parties.

In western Maharashtra, Kolhapur was the only city where the Congress was betting heavily on a return to power. In PunePimpri-Chinchwad, Ahilyanagar and Satara, the Congress has been almost decimated.

Patil said that even though they lost power, their fight would continue. “We will continue to fight for the people of Kolhapur. We will keep the KMC on its toes and continue to raise people’s issues. We will continue to support the people of Kolhapur. Our fight will continue,” he said.

Patil admitted that in at least two prabhags, the party made a mistake in allocating seats to its alliance partner Shiv Sena (UBT). “I think we made some mistakes. Otherwise we would have returned to power…” he said.

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After the results, there was speculation that the NCP and Congress would unite. However, NCP Minister Hassan Mushrif ruled out such a possibility. “We will remain with the Mahayuti,” he told reporters.

“In the past, the BJP used to have only one corporator. This success is big for the party. We will have our own mayor… I had said that the Congress would stay home after January 15. My words have come true. Whatever happens in Delhi “It is happening at the local level too,” said BJP MP Dhananjay Mahadik.

How the candidates fared

Among the winners of the KMC elections are Rajesh Latkar; Ruturaj Kshirsagar, son of MLA Rajesh Kshirsagar; Satyajit Jadhav, son of MLA Jayshree Jadhav; Ashkin Aajrekar, son of former mayor Nilofer Aajrekar; and NCP city chief Aadil Faras.

The big losers include former BJP municipal chief Rahul Chikode, Prakash Naiknaware and Ajit More.

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In the Ichalkaranji Municipal Corporation (IMC), the Mahayuti secured a majority by winning 47 seats, while the BJP emerged as the largest party with 43 seats. The Shiv Shahu Vikas Aghadi got 17 votes, while the Shiv Sena, led by Eknath Shindewon three. The PCN obtained only one seat. The IMC had 16 prabhags and 230 candidates were in the fray.

Manoj Dattatrye More is a senior editor at The Indian Express and has been with the publication since 1992. Based in Pune, he is a veteran journalist with a 33-year career spanning editorial work, investigative reporting and political analysis. Inherited professional experience: Spent his first 16 years in the newsroom before moving into active field reporting. He has written more than 20,000 stories, including more than 10,000 bylined articles. Impact journalism: It is widely respected for its “campaign-style” reporting that leads to tangible social change. Road safety: Its decade-long campaign on the dangerous state of the Pune-Mumbai highway in Khadki resulted in a Rs 23-crore reconstruction project in 2006, which drastically reduced deaths. Environment Protection: His reports against felling of trees on Pune-Mumbai and Pune-Nashik highways saved approximately 2,000 trees. Anti-Corruption: During the COVID-19 pandemic, he exposed a scam in which doctors were asked to pay bribes for government positions, resulting in them being hired without pay. Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) Manoj More’s recent work largely focuses on the changing political landscape of Maharashtra and civic governance in the Pimpri-Chinchwad area: 1. Political Shifts and Alliances “Ajit Pawar’s NCP continues dominance in Pune, wins 10 out of 17 local bodies” (December 21, 2025) – An important report on self-governance election results local, detailing the NCP stronghold in Baramati, Indapur and Lonavala. “BJP arrests 13 former corporators, deals a blow to NCP” (December 20, 2025): Report on major political defection in Pimpri-Chinchwad as BJP prepares for civic elections. “Congress opts for solo BMC management as alliance talks with Sena (UBT) collapse” (December 17, 2025): Covers breakdown of Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) talks for Mumbai civic elections. “NCP (SP)’s Rahul Kalate, Sena (UBT) leader Sanjog Waghere to join BJP” (December 19, 2025) – Details high-profile party changes ahead of municipal elections. 2. Civic and Administrative Responsibility “PCMC draws anger for issuing tenders worth Rs 250 crore just before election code” (December 17, 2025) – A research paper on Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation’s last-minute overspending before election restrictions. “93 dead in 76 accidents in five years: Ring road service roads in Pune remain undeveloped for 18 years” (November 16, 2025) – A critical look at the long-delayed infrastructure projects contributing to deaths on Pune ring roads. 3. Social and labor issues “As state says, TCS has laid off 376 employees: FITE figures say nearly 2,500 were forced to resign” (December 11, 2025): Investigation into conflicting reports on layoffs in IT sector in Maharashtra. “Maharashtra govt takes steps to ‘downgrade’ Aadhaar cards” (November 30, 2025): Report on state’s decision to require additional documents along with Aadhaar to combat identity misuse. Signature Beat Manoj More is the definitive voice of Pimpri-Chinchwad, an industrial hub he has covered for three decades. His reporting is characterized by an aggressive stance against local “gondaism” (thuggery) and a relentless focus on civic infrastructure: clogged sewers, garbage management and public transportation. X (Twitter): @manojmore91982 …Read more

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