BJP Set to Make Mayor in Mumbai for First Time in 45 Years After Historic BMC Win

Mumbai: The BJP mayor in Mumbai scenario has become a political reality for the first time in over four decades, as the BJP-led alliance decisively broke the long-standing dominance of Shiv Sena in the country’s financial capital. After ruling Mumbai politics for nearly 25 years, the Shiv Sena under Uddhav Thackeray has lost control, allowing the BJP alliance to emerge as the most powerful force in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).

For the first time in 45 years, the BJP has reached a position where it can elect its own mayor in Mumbai, marking a historic shift in the city’s political landscape.

The results from municipal elections across Maharashtra show a sweeping victory for the BJP alliance. Out of elections held in 29 municipal corporations, the alliance has taken the lead in 23, delivering a major blow to the opposition. The BJP alliance has registered commanding leads in key urban centers including Mumbai, Pune, Nagpur, and Nashik, underlining its growing influence in urban politics.

BJP Mayor in Mumbai Becomes Reality as BMC Turns Saffron

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, the most powerful civic body in the state, has a total of 227 seats, with the mayoral majority mark set at 114. According to current trends, the BJP alliance has secured 118 seats, comfortably crossing the majority threshold.

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The BJP itself is leading or has won 90 seats, while Shiv Sena led by Eknath Shinde has secured 28 seats. Together, the Mahayuti alliance has effectively painted Mumbai saffron, creating an atmosphere of celebration within the BJP camp.

This victory ensures that the BJP mayor in Mumbai is no longer a political speculation but an imminent outcome, something the party has never achieved since the formation of the BMC.

Opposition Suffers Heavy Losses Across Mumbai

On the other side, Shiv Sena (UBT) has managed to win or lead in 63 seats, a sharp decline compared to previous elections. The Indian National Congress is ahead in 12 seats, while the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena is leading in 6 seats.

Meanwhile, Ajit Pawar’s NCP is ahead in just one seat, and candidates from other parties are leading in nine seats. These numbers make it mathematically impossible for the opposition to stop the BJP alliance from forming the mayoral leadership in Mumbai.

BJP’s Biggest Civic Victory Since Its Formation

Founded in 1980, the Bharatiya Janata Party has, for the first time in its 45-year history, emerged as the single largest party in the BMC elections. This milestone highlights the BJP’s growing strength in Mumbai’s civic governance and positions the party to form its own leadership in the municipal corporation.

In the 2017 BMC elections, the BJP had won 82 seats while the undivided Shiv Sena had secured 84 seats. Despite being close, the BJP had supported Shiv Sena due to the coalition arrangement in Maharashtra at the time. The current results, however, signal a complete reversal of that political equation.

BJP–Shinde Alliance Outperforms 2017 Results

In the latest BMC elections, the BJP contested alongside Shinde’s Shiv Sena and successfully outmaneuvered the Thackeray faction. The BJP is set to win around eight more seats than it did in 2017, while Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena (UBT) is projected to lose nearly 19 seats compared to its earlier performance.

With these results, Uddhav Thackeray is no longer in a position to stake claim to the mayor’s post, even with opposition support. The BJP’s dominance in Mumbai has now become unmistakably clear, marking a turning point in the city’s political history.