With the NDA clinching a decisive victory in Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections, familiar scenes of resort politics have resurfaced in Mumbai, signalling that the post-poll battle for control may be far from over. The loss has been particularly stinging for Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena (UBT), which has been ousted from its long-standing stronghold in India’s richest civic body.
While the results have formally concluded the election process, the political sparring has intensified. The Shiv Sena (UBT) leadership has asserted that despite the verdict, “the real politics is yet to unfold,” hinting at turbulence in the days ahead.
BJP’s Record Show, Spotlight On Eknath Shinde
The Bharatiya Janata Party emerged with its strongest-ever performance in the BMC, consolidating its growing dominance in Mumbai’s civic politics. In contrast, the Thackeray faction suffered a major setback, losing control of an institution it had helmed for decades.
Attention has now shifted to Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, who leads the breakaway Shiv Sena faction aligned with the BJP. Shinde, whose 2022 rebellion split the party and brought down the Maha Vikas Aghadi government, saw his faction win 29 seats in the civic polls.
Soon after the results were declared, Shinde’s camp moved its newly elected corporators to a five-star hotel in Mumbai. The move immediately triggered speculation, reviving memories of resort politics that has often followed closely fought elections in the state.
The Numbers & Mayor’s Race
In the 227-member BMC, the majority mark stands at 114. The BJP secured 89 seats, while Shinde’s Shiv Sena faction added 29, taking the NDA’s tally to 118—comfortably past the halfway line. Ajit Pawar’s Nationalist Congress Party, which contested independently, won three seats and is expected to extend support to its allies.
Despite this numerical advantage, political anxieties persist. In his first address after losing the BMC, Uddhav Thackeray accused the BJP of eyeing defections within Shinde’s camp to tighten its grip on power and secure the mayor’s post.
Reacting to reports of Shinde’s corporators being shifted to a luxury hotel, Thackeray said the move reflected nervousness. “They (Shinde Sena) are scared of the BJP. People who have split once can split again,” he remarked, as reported by Indian Express. He further claimed that many of Shinde’s corporators were originally from his faction and could be vulnerable to fresh poaching.
A day after the BJP–Shinde Sena alliance celebrated its win, Thackeray alleged that the BJP had triumphed through “betrayal.”
UBT’s Dare To Shine-Led Group
In an editorial published in Saamana, the Shiv Sena (UBT) took a swipe at the Shinde-led group, asking whether the party’s legacy of securing 23 Marathi mayors for Mumbai would be sustained going forward. The article hinted at simmering tensions within the ruling establishment, pointing to an apparent power struggle between Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.
It also revisited the role played by the Thackeray brothers in protecting Mumbai’s distinct identity, suggesting that the battle over the city’s political and cultural soul may enter a new phase under the current circumstances.
Fear Of Defections Fuels Resort Politics
The Shinde camp’s caution is rooted in the fragile arithmetic of civic politics. If opposition forces were to come together, they would need just eight corporators from the Mahayuti alliance to defect and overturn the NDA’s advantage. This narrow margin has revived fears of horse-trading, offering a clear explanation for the decision to keep corporators in secure accommodation.
Thackeray, however, dismissed the idea that Shinde’s faction fears his party. Instead, he claimed the anxiety stems from within the alliance itself. “Shinde is actually of the BJP,” he said, reiterating his charge that the rebel leader’s loyalties lie firmly with the saffron party.
