Mumbai, January 17, 2026
In a seismic shift that has rewritten Mumbai's political landscape, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Mahayuti alliance stormed to victory in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections, clinching control of India's richest civic body and ending the Shiv Sena's nearly three-decade dominance. The results, declared late Friday after polling on January 15, saw the BJP secure 89 of the 227 wards, with its ally, Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena faction, adding 29 seats to the tally—enough for a comfortable majority when combined with other NDA partners.
The triumph marks the first time the BJP has seized the reins of the BMC, a powerhouse managing a budget exceeding Rs 50,000 crore and overseeing the financial capital's sprawling infrastructure. For nearly 25 years, the undivided Shiv Sena held sway here, turning it into a Thackeray family fiefdom. But the 2022 Shiv Sena split—when Shinde rebelled against Uddhav Thackeray, toppling the Maha Vikas Aghadi government—has now reverberated down to the grassroots, fracturing the party's vote bank.
### Resort Politics Makes a Comeback: Shinde's Corporators in Taj Lockdown
Barely hours after the votes were tallied, Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena faction invoked the ghost of "resort politics," whisking its 29 victorious corporators to the opulent Taj Lands End hotel in Bandra, Mumbai's posh western suburb. Adorned with traditional tilaks upon arrival, the group was sequestered under tight security to thwart any poaching attempts by rivals, a tactic reminiscent of high-stakes assembly floor maneuvers. Sources close to the party confirmed the move was precautionary, amid whispers of overtures from the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) camp.
Deputy Chief Minister Shinde, addressing a press conference from his residence later in the evening, exuded confidence: "Our alliance has delivered a resounding mandate for development. Mumbai will now see real progress—cleaner streets, better water supply, and world-class infrastructure." He dodged direct questions on the mayor's race but hinted at "strategic decisions" in the coming days.
### Uddhav's Defiance: "My Dream of a Shiv Sena Mayor Lives On"
Not one to yield without a fight, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray fired back from his Matoshree residence, declaring it his "unwavering dream" to install a mayor from the original Shiv Sena. Despite his faction's respectable haul of 65 seats—trailing the BJP but ahead of Shinde's group—Thackeray alleged foul play, pointing to the State Election Commission's handling of the polls and vowing legal recourse if needed. "Mumbai's soul belongs to Shiv Sena. This is not the end; it's just the beginning of our battle," he thundered to cheering supporters.
The UBT's performance, while solid in traditional strongholds like the eastern suburbs, underscored the enduring Thackeray brand's pull, even as the split diluted its overall clout. Congress scraped through with around 12 seats, while NCP (Sharad Pawar) and independents filled the remaining gaps, per preliminary tallies.
| BJP | 89
| Shiv Sena (UBT) | 65
| Shiv Sena (Shinde) | 29 |
| Congress | 12
| Others/Independents | 32
Note: Figures based on official State Election Commission declarations; totals approximate pending final certification.
### The Road to Mayor: Alliances, Horse-Trading, and High Stakes
With the dust settling on the ward-level wins, all eyes now turn to the February showdown for BMC's top posts: mayor, deputy mayor, and standing committee leadership. The mayor's position, elected by corporators for a one-year term on a rotational basis, wields significant influence over policy and patronage in the Rs 5 lakh crore economy hub.
Mahayuti insiders suggest the BJP is poised to claim the mayor's gavel, rewarding its single-largest party status, while Shinde's faction angles for the deputy mayor or key committee chairs. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, the alliance's architect, dismissed poaching rumors outright: "There is no question of horse-trading. Our numbers are ironclad, and governance will be our priority." Yet, the hotel lockdown signals underlying wariness—especially with Uddhav's camp hinting at cross-voting inducements or even a grand opposition alliance to block the BJP.
Analysts predict a flurry of backroom deals in the next fortnight, as the BMC's general body convenes to elect office-bearers. "The real game starts now," said political observer Reshma Chhabria. "Shinde's 29 votes could be kingmakers, but loyalty will be tested. If UBT poaches even a handful, it could upend the apple cart."
For Mumbai's 2 crore residents, the polls signal a pivot from Sena's "sons of the soil" populism to BJP's development agenda—think smart city upgrades, slum rehabilitation, and monsoon-proofing. But with resort shadows looming, the question remains: Will the victory translate to stable governance, or descend into another chapter of Maharashtra's cutthroat coalition chess?
TCO News Desk will continue to monitor developments in this fast-evolving story.
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