Mumbai mayor politics moved out of uncertainty as the ruling Mahayuti alliance on Monday announced Bharatiya Janata Party leader Ritu Tawde as its official candidate for the city’s top civic post, with Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde faction) corporator Sanjay Shankar Ghadi nominated for deputy mayor. The decision comes after days of speculation following the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections and a lottery that reserved the mayor’s post for a woman from the general category.
The announcement brings clarity to the leadership of India’s richest civic body after intense political maneuvering and concerns over last-minute defections within the ruling alliance.
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Mahayuti finalises mayor and deputy mayor candidates
Ritu Tawde, representing the BJP, has been chosen as the Mahayuti alliance’s candidate for Mumbai mayor. Tawde’s nomination aligns with the outcome of the mayoral eligibility lottery conducted on January 22, which determined that Mumbai would have a woman mayor from the general category.
Alongside her, the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena has named Sanjay Shankar Ghadi as its candidate for deputy mayor. Ghadi is a corporator from the Magathane area and will represent the Shinde Sena in the city’s top civic leadership.
BMC election results strengthen BJP–Shiv Sena alliance
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation elections were held on January 15 as part of a wider civic poll exercise across Maharashtra covering 28 municipal bodies. In Mumbai, the BJP emerged as the single largest party with 89 seats, while the Shiv Sena led by Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde secured 29 seats.
Together, the Mahayuti alliance comfortably crossed the majority mark of 144 seats required to control the 227-member BMC, paving the way for forming the civic administration.
Mayor post reserved for women from general category
The lottery conducted on January 22 decided the reservation status for mayoral posts across several municipal corporations. For Mumbai, the draw mandated that the next mayor be a woman from the general category.
Apart from Mumbai, cities including Pune, Dhule, Nanded-Waghala and Navi Mumbai were also allotted women mayors from the general category, shaping candidate selections across Maharashtra.
Political tension and defections added to suspense
Despite having the numbers, the BJP-Shiv Sena alliance faced anxiety in the days following the elections due to fears of defections. Tensions escalated after the Shinde-led Sena moved its newly elected corporators to a hotel in Bandra, triggering speculation of possible poaching attempts.
The post-election period also saw shifting political equations, adding to the suspense ahead of the mayoral lottery. Raj Thackeray’s Maharashtra Navnirman Sena extending support to the Shiv Sena in the Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation further fueled political unease within rival camps.
Both the BJP and the Congress traded accusations of attempting to lure corporators from each other’s ranks, underlining the high-stakes battle for control of key civic bodies across the state.