Inside Narratives Of The BMC Elections: Batengete Toh Katenge & Existence Of Marathi Manoos 

The high-stake BMC elections concluded on January 15, followed by the counting day on January 16. It's been three days since the Mahayuti’s slim majority, the question of who will become the mayor? remains unanswered. Eknath Sinde is bargaining for the stakes in power, BJP resents to offer shared mayorship so far. 

The battle BMC isn't an easy one as it was shown during exit polls and early trends on January 16, attributing if not clean but a clear majority to Mahayuti. After official declaration of the results for all 227 seats for BMC, BJP won 89, Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena - 29, total 118 for Mahayuti. BJP isn't in a position to claim the power in BMC on its own, neither Shinde or any party. That’s the cosmopolitan Mumbai - Rejecting one particular agenda and party, however BJP emerged as the single largest party.  

Shiv Sena UBT secured 65 seats along with MNS winning 6. Congress won 24 seats. However, congress wasn’t part of the pre poll alliance with Thackeray brothers, it has been evident by both the parties that Congress will support Thackeray's if necessary. NCP - SP won 1 seat and Samajwadi party won 2. Together these parties form a strong opposition force with 98 seats in the BMC. AIMIM also won 8 seats in Mumbai. 

Thackerays did lose the power in BMC which it possessed for nearly three decades. But their number shows that Marathi identity pitch, linguistic issues did play key roles in Mumbai’s politics. Thackeray’s Success however can’t be solely attributed to the duo of brothers and their cadre, as the Thackeray failed to do rigorous pan Mumbai campaigns except few big Sabhas. 

The voters, citizens of Mumbai, responded to ballot with long standing issues faced by Marathi Manoos such as not getting houses in high rises because of their dietary choices (of non-veg), Government Marathi schools being shut, Dharavi redevelopment project given to Adani and various anti Marathi statements by BJP leaders such as Krupa Shankar Singh, K Annamali, including former Maharashtra governor Bhagatsingh Koshyari.  

It was not Thackerays who understood the potential of Marathi identity as a campaign cry in the beginning. Marathi Abhyas Kendra (MAK) who led mass movement on the issue of Hindi imposition as third language in the primary schools in the state. MAK raised several other issues such as closure of BMC-run Marathi schools in 2025. The consistent efforts of this collective and small group of the civil society, regardless of political support, contributed significantly to bring Marathi Asmita at the core of the electoral discourses, so much so that it brought down BJP from ‘Khan mayor’ narrative to Marathi mayor narrative. BJP leaders from CM Devendra Fadnavis to Ashsih Shelar had to publicly declare their stand over Mayorship. The BJP said Mumbai will see hindu-Marathi mayor. 

Mumbaikars also responded to the politics of party splits through ballot. Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena was the main claimant of the Marathi votebank, but he managed to win 29 seats out of 90 contested by his party. With respect to Mumbai, it is Thackeray’s Shiv Sena which remains significant in the city; shows the fractured mandate. Thackerys didn’t lose their last bastion. 

Uddhav Thackeray’s Fight Against Adversities  

“Uddhav Thacekaray’s fight for BMC against all odds, is significant. Mumbai gave fractured mandate for the BMC, it responded to Marathi identity pitch, though it could not translate to win the majority mark. More than 100 winning corporators - their votes rejected The BJP and Mahayuti’s pitch of development and hindutva propaganda.” says Ravi Amale, independent journalist and author.  

For Mahayuti, though it won BMC, keeping Thackeray out of power, the mandate is not as massive as it was for the Maharashtra Vidhansabha (assembly) elections 2024. BJP led Mahayuti was cautious and didn’t celebrate its victorious trends on January 15, until late evening till 9.30 pm when the final tally arrived. During the last few hours of counting, the battle became a neck-to-neck fight reflected in trends from 3 pm. CM Devendra Fadnavis advised twice in his media address that frenzy and euphoric celebrations should be avoided on January 15. 

Apart from the BMC elections, Shiv Sena (UBT) also has more MPs than Shinde’s Shiv Sena. Its only Maharashtra assembly elections 2024, in which Shinde’s Shiv Sena won 45 MLAs and Shiv Sena (UBT) won 20 MLAs.  

Shiv Sena (UBT) for the first time in the past three decades lost the power in BMC, which BJP was eyeing on since 2019. Knowing the strength of the regional party, and BJP’s incapability to win the BMC on its own, the party plotted ‘divide and rule’ strategy in 2022, breaking Shiv Sena. Eknath Shinde with more than 40 MLAs of united Shiv sena rebelled and Shinde, claiming his party as original Shiv sena, joined the BJP led Mahayuti in 2022. Eknath Shinde became the chief minister. 

After political turmoil and party split, Thackeray lost the majority in assembly and resigned from Chief minister post.  

The supreme court partially ruled in favour of Shiv sena (UBT) in 2022, stating, the governor did not have satisfactory material before him to call Uddhav Thackeray for the floor test, however it (the supreme court) can’t restore the status co as Thackeray resigned before the floor test. 

The court also pointed out several gaps in the floor test conducted later, such as the legislature party can’t decide the whip, it's the political party’s purview according to their party constitutions. Meaning, the Whip declared by the Shinde faction for the floor test, didn’t meet the requirements of the legal framework. Later the court adjudicated the matter of symbol and party name to the discretion of an election commission of India. 

Election commission of India recognised Shinde faction as an original Shiv sena, allotted party symbol bow and arrow to it. Eknath Shinde however thanked Amit Shah and PM Narendra Modi for ‘giving him  party symbol.’ The petitions challenging ECI’s decision over the symbol are yet to be concluded by the supreme court as well as the matter of disqualification of MLAs under anti defection law. On this background, the Loksabha elections 2024 took place in Maharashtra following assembly elections within 6 months.  

This background is important to understand the very existence of Shiv sena (UBT) party in the state. Despite of all the benefits of long drawn legal battles to restore the original Shiv sena capitalised by the Eknath Shinde faction, Mahayuti’s electoral campaigns with immense resources, the power it enjoys in the state and union government, the divisive narrative of ‘Khan will become the mayor of Mumbai if Shiv sena UBT wins’, narrative of ‘Bangladeshi and Rohingya infiltrators’ used by top BJP leaders such as Mangal Prabhat Lodha, Amit Satam BJP managed to win only 24 seats more than Shiv sena (UBT) in the BMC elections. BJP won 89 and Shiv sena (UBT) won 65. 

The mandate of Mahayuti is not the rejection of ‘Marathi Manoos’ narrative nor Thackeray's significance. It is the people’s mandate with 106 seats against the Mahayuti in Mumbai, who were also disillusioned by contemporary politics of poaching leaders by the powerful parties and party splits. 

While Thackerays remained unsuccessful to retain the power in BMC, it should also be noted that the elections took place after 9 years. The last election for the BMC took place in 2017, when tenure ended in 2022, elections didn’t take place for almost four years, BMC was functioning under the administrator. 99 % funds for development were given to the MLAs of ruling parties, revealed in an RTI investigation by Indian Express. 

Uddhav Thackerays more than 50 corporators were poached by Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena months before BMC elections, yet Thackeray managed to win 65 corporators against Shinde’s 29. 

BJP’s Divisive Poll Narratives 

Muslims in Maharashtra voted overwhelmingly for Shiv sena UBT during Loksabha elections 2024. Since then BJP floats the ‘Batenge toh katenge narrative for every election, sometimes with a softer tone - ‘Ek hai to safe hai’.  BJP is constantly attacking and vilifying not muslims but Shiv sena UBT also for their gain with muslim votes.  

This was replicated in the BMC 2026 election also. The BJP pushed multiple narratives during its campaign, warning voters that Mumbai would get a ‘Khan mayor’ if Uddhav Thackeray or the Maha Vikas Aghadi returned to power in BMC. Mumbai BJP president initially made such statements taking jibe at Zohran Mamdani’s win as New York mayor. But the rhetoric was kept repeated by him furthermore indirectly attacking Shiv sena UBT MLA Haroon Khan from Versova - an adjoining assembly constituency to Andheri west. Satam is MLA from Andheri west. 

Inside 8 bmc wards under Andheri west, BJP won 3 seats, Shiv Sena (UBT) won - 3 and Congress won 2 seats. 

Satam aggressively campaigned using the ‘Khan mayor’ narrative, targeting Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Harun Khan from Versova. In the municipal elections, Saba Harun Khan of the Shiv Sena (UBT) won from Ward- 64 and Meher Mohsin Haidar won from ward -66. 

BJP minister Mangal Prabhat Lodha used ‘Bangladeshi infiltrators’ narrative in Malad Malvani area, with claims with unverified information on the streets, in the house. Half a dozen demolitions took place in Malad-Malvani, mostly affected muslims, dalits, and the poor. Congress alleged Lodha’s statements and actions as an exercise of disenfranchisement of muslim and dalit votes, Outlook reported earlier. The narrative of ‘ghuspethiye’ by Lodha resulted in BJP winning 2 out of 9 wards in this area, Congress winning 4,  Shiv sena UBT- 2 and MNS - 1. 

Muslim representation in the BMC rose to 30 in 2026, compared to 28 in 2017. This however is seen as a religious polarisation.

“BJP used Bangladeshi Rohingya infiltrators narrative for polarising votes not only in specific pockets but for overall constituencies. It helped consolidate Muslims votes, which is reflected in AIMIM gaining seats in Mumbai. BJP’s Batenge toh Katenge narrative consolidated hindu votes along caste lines too. Gujarati votes consolidated, Marathi votes consolidated. This was a strategic counter from the BJP to the Shiv Sena's Marathi narrative. It was an attempt to consolidate Marathi votes under Hindutva fold by leveraging the Hindu-Muslim issue. However, Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv sena -UBT in alliance with MNS managed to win 71 seats in Mumbai.” said Amale, independent journalist and author.