The process for electing the next Mayor of Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is set to begin on Thursday, with the reservation lottery scheduled to be held at the Urban Development Department. The draw will determine which category the Mayor’s post of BMC will be reserved for, not just in Mumbai but across 29 municipal corporations in Maharashtra.
Once the category is finalised, the government is expected to issue an official notification either the same day or within the next 24 hours. However, the Mayor’s election will not happen immediately after that. As per rules, a mandatory seven-day notice period must be observed before the election can be conducted.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who had earlier said that the Mayor’s decision would be taken collectively, left for Davos on Sunday to attend the World Economic Forum annual meeting. He is expected to return to India on January 24, after which political clarity on the Mayor’s post is likely to emerge.
Mahayuti confident of claiming mayor’s post
Days after the results of the 227-member BMC were declared, Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde asserted that Mumbai would get a Mayor from the ruling Mahayuti alliance. His Shiv Sena faction, which contested the polls in alliance with the BJP, emerged as a key player by winning 29 seats.
“Mumbai will have a Mahayuti Mayor. Even neighbouring civic bodies like Kalyan-Dombivli will have Mayors from the Mahayuti,” Shinde said, taking a swipe at the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT). The BJP has emerged as the single largest party in the BMC with 89 corporators. Together with Shinde’s 29 corporators, the Mahayuti has 118 members, comfortably crossing the majority mark of 114. With the support of three corporators from the Ajit Pawar-led NCP, the alliance’s strength goes up further.
Hotel move and political signals
Adding to the political buzz, Shinde has moved his corporators to a five-star hotel in Bandra. While the party has officially described this as an interaction and orientation exercise for new corporators, the move is being seen by political observers as a strategy to prevent poaching and strengthen internal unity amid intense bargaining over the Mayor’s post.
Shinde clarified that the stay was meant to provide a common platform for corporators, especially as the group of 29 members is being formally registered with the Konkan divisional commissioner.
War of words with Uddhav Sena
The Mayor’s race has also triggered sharp political exchanges. Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut claimed that many corporators from Shinde’s camp do not want a BJP Mayor in Mumbai and dared the Deputy Chief Minister to ensure that the next Mayor comes from the Shiv Sena.
Raut also reminded that Shiv Sena has historically given Mumbai 23 Mayors, while alleging that even Shinde may not favour a BJP Mayor in the country’s financial capital. On this, Fadnavis responded with a sarcastic remark, saying that the phrase “God willing” could have different meanings, jokingly adding that he did not know whether Raut was referring to God above or to him, as he is also called “Devabhau”.
On the opposition side, the Uddhav Sena has 65 corporators, the Congress 24, the MNS six, and the NCP (SP) one. While these parties are part of the Maha Vikas Aghadi at the state level, they had contested the BMC elections separately, limiting their combined bargaining power.
