The Bharatiya Janata Party and its ally Shiv Sena on Saturday announced their candidates for the Mumbai mayor and deputy mayor posts, setting the stage for the formation of the new leadership at the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation after a gap of nine years.
BJP leader Amit Satam declared corporator Ritu Tawade as the party’s nominee for the mayor’s post, while Shiv Sena leader Rahul Shewale announced Sanjay Ghadi as the candidate for deputy mayor. The announcements were made at the BMC headquarters.
Tawade represents Ward 132, while Ghadi was elected from Ward 5 in the civic polls held on January 15. After the announcement, Tawade told reporters, "I am feeling very good."
Ghadi will serve as deputy mayor for 15 months, Shiv Sena secretary Sanjay More said in a statement. The party plans to split the deputy mayor’s tenure to provide an opportunity to four of its corporators.
Ghadi is among the senior former Shiv Sena (UBT) corporators who later joined the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena.
In the election to the 227-member Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, the BJP emerged as the single largest party with 89 seats, while the Shiv Sena secured 29.
With a combined strength of 118 corporators, the ruling alliance has crossed the halfway mark of 114 and is positioned to secure the mayor’s post.
The Shiv Sena (UBT), which controlled the civic body for 25 years since 1997, won 65 seats. Its allies, the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena and the Nationalist Congress Party led by Sharad Pawar, won six and one seat, respectively.
Among other parties, the Congress secured 24 seats, AIMIM eight, the NCP led by Ajit Pawar three, and the Samajwadi Party two. Two independent candidates also won in the election. The BMC polls were held after a nine-year gap.
Since March 7, 2022, the civic body has been under the charge of a state government-appointed administrator, with the municipal commissioner serving in that role following the end of the previous term.
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation is the country’s richest civic body. Its budget for 2025–26 has been pegged at Rs 74,450 crore, higher than that of several smaller states.
