Ashok Chavan steers BJP to historic majority in Nanded civic body after 28 years

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: BJP Rajya Sabha MP Ashok Chavan has steered his party to a majority in the Nanded-Waghala City Municipal Corporation, ending nearly three decades of Congress dominance in the civic body and reshaping politics on his home turf.In the municipal corporation election results declared on Jan 16, BJP won 45 of the 81 seats in the Nanded-Waghala City Municipal Corporation (NWCMC), crossing the majority mark for the first time since the corporation was constituted on March 27, 1997. The win follows the party's underwhelming performance in the Marathwada region during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, and is seen as a reassertion of Chavan's influence after years of political turbulence that began with the Adarsh Housing scam.When contacted, Chavan told TOI that development remains the central plank of his politics, irrespective of party affiliation. "Some people from rival political parties made personal comments and abused me on public platforms. Development is the main issue on which the people of Nanded have voted. When I was in Congress, my priority was development works, and the same continues today. Each time people abuse me, I get better results," he said.Chavan said BJP had set an internal target of winning 50 seats in the 81-member House. "We were targeting 50 seats. We got 45 seats, which is a massive jump from just six seats in the previous municipal body," he added.Nanded has traditionally been viewed as a Congress stronghold, closely identified with the Chavan family's political legacy. In the 2017 civic elections, when Chavan was still with Congress, the party won 73 corporator seats. BJP won six seats, while Shiv Sena and an independent candidate won one seat each then. The latest mandate has reversed that political equation.After Chavan switched to BJP, 45 sitting corporators joined the party. Of them, 40 contested again in the latest elections and 32 won, giving BJP an experienced organisational base in the city.Senior BJP politicians attributed the win to Chavan's ground-level engagement, strategic candidate selection and ward-wise micro-management in a city where the saffron party has struggled for decades. Party sources said Chavan remained personally involved throughout the campaign, held frequent meetings with local functionaries and focused on booth-level coordination to consolidate votes.For Congress, the outcome has been a major setback, as the party has been reduced to single-digit representation. AIMIM has emerged as the second-largest party in the corporation, indicating a shift in voter preferences, particularly in minority-dominated areas.Political observers said the verdict carries significance beyond municipal politics. "Nanded has had a strong symbolic value as the power base of the Chavan family for decades. BJP's majority here reflects deeper organisational penetration rather than a routine civic win," said a senior Marathwada-based political analyst.According to BJP politicians, the campaign focused on civic issues such as water supply, road conditions, sanitation and alleged corruption in the outgoing administration. With a clear majority, BJP is set to claim the mayor's post and key standing committees, paving the way for full control of the corporation and implementation of its development agenda.