Maharashtra Political Shake-Up: 43 Runner-Up MVA Candidates Join Ruling Maha-Yuti, BJP Emerges Biggest Beneficiary

Mumbai, Maharashtra: A year after the Maharashtra Assembly elections, the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) is struggling to keep its ranks intact. Following the electoral defeat, 43 runner-up MVA candidates have defected to the ruling Maha-Yuti alliance, with the majority joining the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Three independent candidates have also aligned with the ruling coalition.

Defections Breakdown
Out of the 46 total runner-ups who switched sides, 26 joined BJP, 13 joined Ajit Pawar’s NCP, and 7 joined Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena. Additionally, a senior candidate from the ruling NCP also shifted allegiance to BJP.

Election Results Recap
In the 2024 state polls, Maha-Yuti secured 235 of 288 seats, with BJP winning 132 seats, Shinde’s Shiv Sena 57, and Ajit Pawar’s NCP 41. The MVA managed only 50 seats—Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena (UBT) took 20, Congress 16, and Sharad Pawar-led NCP 10 seats.

Why the Shift?
According to reports, these political defections mainly occurred in areas traditionally dominated by UBT-Shiv Sena, suggesting a deliberate strategy by the ruling alliance to consolidate its power. A senior NCP leader stated that bringing runner-up candidates into Maha-Yuti weakens the opposition and reduces its chances of mounting a future comeback.

Shiv Sena (UBT) Takes the Hardest Hit
The Shiv Sena (UBT) lost 19 of its former candidates, while NCP (SP) lost 13 and Congress 10. Three independents and one runner-up from the PWP also joined Maha-Yuti. Some defections were strategically executed from areas where ruling parties had won, helping them maintain control ahead of the 2029 Assembly elections.

Regional Focus
BJP primarily targeted Marathwada, North Maharashtra, and Konkan regions. In Marathwada, 16 runner-ups defected, with half joining BJP, five joining NCP, and three Shiv Sena. In North Maharashtra, 10 of 11 runners-up joined BJP, one moved to NCP. In Konkan, a traditional Shiv Sena stronghold, five joined BJP, three Shinde Sena, and two NCP.

Strategic Gains for Ajit Pawar
Ajit Pawar reinforced his base in Marathwada and Western Maharashtra. Of the 13 candidates who joined NCP(SP), five were from Marathwada and four from Western Maharashtra, with the remainder drawn from Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT), and independents. Shinde’s Sena also gained some runners-up, mainly from Konkan and Marathwada.

Political Implications
This large-scale defection highlights the opposition’s vulnerability and strengthens the ruling alliance’s dominance in strategic regions, setting the stage for a tough battle in future elections.