NEW DELHI: Who will be Mumbai’s mayor? With the BMC results now out, India’s richest civic body is still waiting for a new head. In the financial capital of the country, familiar scenes of Maharashtra politics are unfolding, rounding up winning corporators, hotel stays, number crunching, and sharp political exchanges.The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), long considered a Thackeray stronghold, delivered a mixed verdict. Despite Shiv Sena (UBT) supremo Uddhav Thackeray and MNS chief Raj Thackeray coming together after years of rivalry and bitterness for each other, Mumbai voted differently. While the BJP did not secure an outright majority, it emerged as the single largest party, denting the traditional “Marathi manoos” narrative and gaining a decisive edge. A major chunk of bargaining power also went to the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, making it a key player in the mayoral race.The BJP recorded its best-ever performance in BMC elections, winning 89 wards and continuing its winning momentum after its Bihar victory. Shiv Sena (UBT) came second with 65 wards but lost many of its traditional strongholds. The Shinde-led Sena, a BJP ally, won 29 wards, followed by the Congress with 24. AIMIM won eight wards, the Raj Thackeray’s MNS six, the NCP three, the Samajwadi Party two, and the NCP (SP) one.
Shinde Sena eyes mayor’s chair?
Suspense continues as the Eknath Shinde–led Shiv Sena is keen on securing the mayor’s post, at least for the first 2.5 years. On Saturday, the party shifted its newly elected corporators to a luxury hotel in Mumbai, claimed by Sanjay Raut as the Taj Lands End, fuelling fresh speculation.Party leaders said the move was meant to help corporators relax after the polls and attend orientation sessions. Shinde felicitated the winners, while corporator Amey Ghole said the deputy chief minister would brief them on Mumbai’s development plans, manifesto implementation, and a five-year roadmap.Sena leaders argued that since the BJP does not have the numbers to elect a mayor on its own, the post must be shared. They said the Shinde Sena would demand the first 2.5-year mayoral term as part of power-sharing.
‘No differences’: Fadnavis
Amid intense speculation over the mayor’s name and reports of tensions within the BJP–Shiv Sena alliance, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis dismissed any talk of discord.Rejecting rumours of infighting or poaching, Fadnavis said Mumbai would have a consensus “Mahayuti mayor.””Eknath Shinde, I, and other leaders from both parties will meet and jointly decide who will be the Mumbai mayor and for how long. There will be no differences. Everything will go smoothly. Together, we will run Mumbai efficiently,” he said.
UBT’s stand
The Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena has sought to highlight cracks within the ruling alliance and strongly questioned the legitimacy of a Mahayuti mayor. The party argued that neither the BJP nor the Shinde Sena has a clear majority on its own.UBT spokesperson Sanjay Raut questioned the BJP’s claim to the mayor’s post. “Prime Minister Narendra Modi wants a BJP mayor, but he has not explained how. The BJP does not have a complete mandate,” Raut said. He also alleged that Shinde Sena corporators were being confined in a hotel. “They are being kept at the Taj Lands End almost like prisoners. The hotel has turned into a jail. Despite having power at the Centre and a strong chief minister in Maharashtra, why are they so afraid?” he asked.Amid the suspense, UBT Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray struck a defiant tone, taking a swipe at former colleague and now a rival, deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde and alleging that his faction was afraid of the BJP. Addressing newly elected corporators at Matoshree, Uddhav said that while the BJP may claim it had finished Shiv Sena on paper, it had failed to do so on the ground and “cannot buy loyalty despite using all possible means.”He accused the BJP of winning the polls through “betrayal” and alleged that the party wanted to “mortgage Mumbai.” “The BJP won by betrayal, and the Marathi manoos will not forgive this sin,” he said, adding that it remained his party’s dream to have a Shiv Sena (UBT) mayor elected. “With God’s grace, it will happen,” he said.
BJP cashed in on ‘manoos’
More than 60% of the BJP’s 89 newly elected BMC corporators 54 in all are Marathis, suggesting that identity continues to shape Mumbai politics. The party said the results showed strong backing from the Marathi community despite the high-decibel nativist campaign by Shiv Sena (UBT) and the MNS, crediting its “community engineering” strategy for the gains.Of the remaining corporators, 14 are Gujaratis and 10 are from north India, with winners also from Sindhi-Punjabi and south Indian communities, reflecting the BJP’s broad outreach.Mumbai BJP chief MLA Ameet Satam said the party’s “Hindutva” pitch, backed by micro-level planning and targeted community outreach, helped it break into linguistic vote banks while retaining its traditional support.Political observers said the polls tested the Thackeray brand after Uddhav and Raj Thackeray joined hands. While some Marathi voters stayed with them, analysts said the “Marathi manoos” narrative had limited impact, with the BJP drawing away a section of these voters. Go to Source