Mumbai civic polls: BJP–Shiv Sena alliance breaks Thackeray hold on BMC, Fadnavis emerges as key winner

PTC Web Desk: The BJP–Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) alliance has registered a decisive victory in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections, bringing an end to the Thackeray family’s decades-long control over Asia’s richest civic body. With the alliance comfortably crossing the majority mark, Mumbai is set to get a BJP–Shiv Sena mayor after many years.

The election outcome has firmly placed Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis at the centre of the political spotlight. Under his leadership, the BJP has delivered its strongest-ever performance in the BMC, winning or leading in around 90 of the 227 wards, surpassing its previous best of 82 seats achieved in 2017. Alliance partner Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) is ahead in about 28 wards, taking the Mahayuti combine beyond the halfway mark of 114.

However, the results also reflect the challenges faced by Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde in consolidating the Shiv Sena’s traditional support base in Mumbai. Despite most corporators from the undivided Sena elected in 2017 siding with him, the Shinde-led faction has managed only around 30 seats, indicating limited transfer of grassroots loyalty.

Eknath Shinde, as per a report in India Today, described the BMC verdict as a clear mandate for “development” and a rejection of “corruption”. He said the outcome also reflected public approval of the Mahayuti government’s performance over the past three-and-a-half years. When asked whether the next mayor would be from the BJP or the Shiv Sena, Shinde avoided a direct answer, stating only that the mayor would belong to the Mahayuti alliance.

Meanwhile, Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena has won or is leading in approximately 63 wards, a significant drop from the 84 seats the undivided party had secured in 2017. Still, the numbers suggest that despite losing its party symbol and a section of its cadre, the Thackeray brand continues to retain a notable presence in Mumbai politics.

Reacting to the early trends, Maharashtra minister and BJP leader Nitesh Rane said the alliance’s performance reflected public endorsement of its Hindutva-focused campaign. In a post on social media, Rane remarked in Hindi that those who speak for Hindu interests would rule Maharashtra, signing off with “Jai Shri Ram”.

The comments came as counting showed the BJP–Shiv Sena alliance maintaining a clear lead in more than 114 wards, underlining a major political shift in Mumbai’s civic landscape.