India, Feb. 10 -- The electoral domination of the BJP-led Mahayuti over Maharashtra is now complete, with the alliance poised to win 11 of the 12 zilla parishads (ZPs) and at least 100 of the 125 panchayat samitis in the state. Since the Lok Sabha debacle in 2024, the Mahayuti has regained political ground in the state, and now dominates all tiers of government - from the legislative assembly to Panchayati Raj Institutions. At the heart of this political shift is the rise and spread of the BJP as a pan-Maharashtra party, and the decline of what once used to be described as the Congress system in the state.

For sure, much of the Mahayuti's gains has to do with the alliance working together. Just as the BJP won over rural elites and patron...