Poll drubbing for both Senas in Marathwada; Parbhani victory face-saver for Sena (UBT)

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: Deputy CM Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena and Uddhav Thackeray-led Sena (UBT) failed to make a significant mark in the municipal corporation elections across Marathwada, with the only exemption being Sena (UBT)'s joint triumph with Congress in the Parbhani Municipal Corporation. In the previous Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Municipal Corporation election, the undivided Sena had emerged as the single largest party. This time, however, disagreements over seat-sharing pushed the Shinde-led faction to contest independently and take on BJP directly. The strategy backfired, with the party securing only 13 of the 115 seats. Thackeray-led Sena (UBT), unable to form alliances, managed to win just six seats.
In Nanded, Sena won merely four seats while Sena (UBT) drew a blank. BJP, meanwhile, swept ahead with 45 of 81 seats. BJP also dominated the first-ever elections to the Jalna Municipal Corporation, where Sena won about 12 seats and Sena (UBT) again failed to register a win.The sole bright spot for Sena (UBT) came in Parbhani, where it teamed up with the Congress to clinch a remarkable victory. Sena (UBT) secured around 25 seats and Congress about 12, helping the alliance comfortably cross the majority mark. The win served as a much-needed morale booster for the Thackeray-led faction amid poor results elsewhere. The Shinde-led Sena failed to win any seat in Parbhani.A Sena leader admitted that severing ties with BJP had been a major misstep. "Much like earlier, the party leadership expected BJP and Sena to perform on par when contesting separately, allowing room for a post-poll alliance. This calculation fell flat. Moreover, the party lacked a strong cadre in several regions," he said, requesting anonymity.