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After a sweeping victory for the BJP-Sena's Mahayuti in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections in Maharashtra, Mumbai is witnessing power-play and hotel politics as Shiv Sena has moved all its newly elected corporaters in a hotel in Bandra, sources said.
According to sources, the Shinde Sena is likely to demand the Mayor post in India's richest municipal corporation as it celebrates the centenary year of its founder, Bal Thackeray, as a befitting tribute to him on his 100th birthday on January 23. The undivided Shiv Sena had controlled the BMC for the longest time before the party split into two factions in 2022. The BMC elections saw the BJP-Shiv Sena alliance emerge as the single largest bloc, beating the Thackeray brothers. According to official figures, the BJP emerged as the largest party, winning 89 seats, while its alliance partner, the Shinde Sena, secured 29 seats. However, the discussions on the Mayor post cannot take place for any of the 29 municipalities until there is clarity on reservations for each municipality's Mayor post. In November 2025, the Supreme Court noted that in 40 Municipal Councils and 17 District Nagar Panchayats the OBC reservation has exceeded the fifty per cent ceiling, and stated that State Election Commission may take a call whether to continue or abstain from continuing the election process, as it would ultimately be subject to the further proceedings in the matter before a three-judge bench that the Court has listed for hearing in January 2026. Moreover, Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis, the BJP's most prominent face in the state, is flying to Davos to attend the World Economic Forum and is likely to return to Mumbai only by January 24. Earlier today, Fadnavis stated that the decision for the Mayor post will be taken collectively by him, Deputy CM Eknath Shinde, and party leaders. He clarified, "There is no dispute whatsoever on this." After the victory in the majority of the 29 corporations that underwent polling, the Chief Minister said that the Mahayuti will form Mayors in 25 of these civic bodies. Among all winning candidates in the BMC polls, the BJP's vote share stands at 45.22 per cent, making it the single largest party in the civic body. Its alliance partner, the Shiv Sena, secured 29 seats with 2,73,326 votes, translating into five per cent of the total vote share. On the other side, the Shiv Sena (UBT), contesting in alliance with the MNS, won 65 seats. The UBT-led Sena polled 7,17,736 votes, accounting for 13.13 per cent of the total votes cast. The MNS added 6 seats to the alliance tally, with 74,946 votes and a 1.37 per cent vote share. The Indian National Congress (INC) secured 24 seats, polling 2,42,646 votes, which represents 4.44 per cent of the total vote share. (ANI)
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