In what can be termed as a first setback to Congress in 2012, the Shiv Sena-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) combine managed to retain power in the prestigious Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), the country's richest civic body. Maharashtra chief minister Mr. Ashok Chavan too has honestly conceded to the fact and said that the BMC polls were really a shock for the Congress Party.

Speaking to the media, Chavan said "I didn't expect this result at all. Mumbai has been with Sena for the last 16 years, we tried but did not succeed in 2002 and 2007. This time we tried a different strategy, but we did not succeed." However, he said that though the Shiv Sena-BJP combine managed to retain power, it was interesting to see Raj Thackeray's MNS take away some seats from Sena. Chavan had earlier suggested that the Congress-NCP combine was banking on Raj Thackeray’s MNS, which they expected would cut into the votes of the Shiv Sena-BJP alliance. This was the first civic elections in Mumbai where the Congress was contesting in an alliance with the NCP.

The Shiv Sena-BJP alliance is also set to retain power in the Thane Municipal Corporation with the help of independents. Meanwhile, in Pune, the NCP has emerged as the single largest party, but will be able to take the control of the civic body only with the help of the Congress. The final party position in the 152-seat Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) was: NCP 51, MNS 29, Congress 28, BJP 26, Shiv Sena 15, RPI 2 and Independent 1. BJP president Nitin Gadkari also saved his face in hometown Nagpur with his party leading over the Congress and the NCP.