BJP has emerged as the single largest party with 89 seats but continues to face significant hurdles in the BMC mayor race.
The Mahayuti alliance, along with Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena, has secured 118 seats, a thin majority, strengthening Shinde’s bargaining power as he stakes claim to the mayor’s post.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis is currently in Davos for the World Economic Forum. Reports suggest he has held backchannel talks with Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray to counter Shinde’s demands.
BJP emerged as the single largest party in BMC polls with 89 seats, yet far from the majority mark of 114 on its own. Together with Eknath Shinde’s Shiv sena, Mahayuti managed to win 118 seats, marking a thin majority However, uncertainty remains over the mayor’s post. On January 17, soon after the counting, Shinde shifted his 29 corporators to a five-star hotel in Mumbai, signalling tough bargaining over the position and invoking Balasaheb Thackeray’s birth centenary in 2026.
The opposition attacked deputy chief minister Shinde over “hotel politics”, alleging the move was to prevent poaching. Shinde, however, said the corporators were invited to discuss civic strategy and attend a workshop focused on Mumbai’s issues.
The episode has added a new twist to Mumbai and Maharashtra politics. BJP has yet to announce a power-sharing formula with its ally Shinde’s Shiv sena, though it has maintained firmly that the mayor’s post will remain within the Mahayuti. Uday Samant of the Shinde-led Shiv Sena also reiterated that Mahayuti will retain the mayor’s post.
Marathi daily Loksatta reported on January 19 that Devendra Fadnavis and Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray held back-channel talks on the BMC mayor position to weaken Shinde’s position. It is reported that Thackeray’s 65 corporators will not be present in the house during voting for mayor post, taking a neutral stand. However, this is the strategy for keeping Shinde’s Shiv Sena in check, according to political analysts.
“Such news reports are baseless. They are nothing but pressure tactics. We have good numbers and support from the Congress, and we are waiting and watching as of now. We’ll open our strategy cards at appropriate time,” said Sanjay Raut, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP, in a press conference on January 19.
Mumbai BJP president Amit Satam also maintained that Mahayuti would govern the BMC and retain the mayor’s post, dismissing reports of rifts within the alliance.
Meanwhile, Shinde’s Shiv Sena is alleged to have begun poaching Shiv Sena (UBT) corporators in Kalyan-Dombivli, prompting the UBT faction to explore strategies to counter Shinde’s moves in the BMC.
Apart from BJP led Mahayuti’s 118 figure, Shiv Sena UBT has 65 seats, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena has 6. Together the Thackerays have a formidable force of 71 corporators. Congress won 24, Samajwadi Party won two seats and NCP(SP) one seat.
The tally goes to 98 for Shiv sena UBT led coalition which is also reportedly exploring support from other independent candidates for claiming mayorship in BMC. However, their tally also remains far below the majority mark of 114.
