BJP-Shiv Sena Alliance Dominates BMC Elections: New Mayor for Mumbai

The Mahayuti alliance, comprising the BJP and Shiv Sena, takes a commanding lead in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation elections. With the BJP and Shiv Sena ahead in numerous wards, the elections mark a significant shift in Mumbai's local governance. Voter turnout was recorded at 52.94 percent.

The Mahayuti coalition, formed by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Shiv Sena faction led by Eknath Shinde, has cemented its dominance in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) polls. Preliminary data reveals that the alliance is leading in 117 wards across Mumbai, with the BJP leading in 86 and the Shiv Sena in 31.

The Shiv Sena (UBT) coalition, on the other hand, achieved over 68 leads, with the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) securing 9, UBT Sena 58, and NCP (SP) just 1 seat. Meanwhile, Ajit Pawar's NCP and the Congress party made modest gains, leading in 1 and 10 seats, respectively.

According to official BMC updates, UBT's Foram Parmar lags in ward 1, while Gita Bhandari leads in ward 32. Varsha Tembelkar, a candidate from Shinde's Shiv Sena, is ahead in Ward 51. Prominent BJP figures like Deepak Tavde, Ujjwal Veti, and Neil Somaiya see strong leads in their constituencies. Congress's Asha Deepak Kale clinched victory in Mumbai's Dharavi ward 183. In the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) arena, BJP gained traction with 50 of 165 seats, displacing Pawar's influence.

In a heated contest in Pune's Ward No. 20, BJP candidates Rajendra Shilimkar, Tanvi Divekar, and Mansi Deshpande emerged victorious. In the strategically important Thane Municipal Corporation, BJP led in 21 of 131 wards, with opposition parties securing lesser influence.

The BMC elections concluded with a 52.94% voter turnout, marred by allegations from the Shiv Sena (UBT)-MNS alliance, though these were dismissed by the State Election Commissioner. Held after an eight-year hiatus, these elections set the stage for a new mayoral leadership in Mumbai after the term of the previous mayor, Kishori Pednekar, ended in March 2022.

(With inputs from agencies.)