BJP's Ritu Tawde's Mumbai Mayoral Bid Brings Decades Of Experience To Fore

In a defining moment for Mumbai's local body politics, Ritu Tawde of the BJP has officially filed her nomination today as the Mahayuti alliance's candidate for the mayoral post of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). With the alliance having secured a clear majority in the recent BMC elections, Tawde emerges as a frontrunner poised to become one of Mumbai's most influential civic leaders.

A three-term corporator from Ghatkopar West, Tawde brings over a decade of experience in grassroots politics in civic administration and public welfare to her mayoral bid. As per senior BJP leaders, Tawde is known for her hands-on approach and community engagement and has steadily built a reputation as a leader who combines administrative competence with deep local connect.

From Local Representative To Mayoral Candidate

Tawde's political journey began at the ward level, where she successfully contested civic elections and earned the trust of her constituents across multiple terms. Her tenure in the BMC has included several key leadership roles including Chairperson of the Education Committee, Vice Chairperson of the Improvements Committee, and membership of key civic bodies. Her experience spans education policy, urban infrastructure, public services, and civic administration.

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Alongside her municipal responsibilities, Tawde has played a prominent role in organisational politics, particularly within the Mahila Morcha, where she has served as a former state vice president and district president for Mumbai's eastern suburbs. She has also been associated with the Mahila Arthik Vikas Mahamandal as a director and has worked closely with government-linked skill development and professional training initiatives, including those under the Khadi and Village Industries framework.

A Track Record of Public Service

Tawde's public work has been marked by a strong focus on social welfare, women empowerment and access to basic civic services. She has organised awareness programmes in slum settlements on personal hygiene and the use of sanitary napkins, and has worked for the rehabilitation of child labourers, including cases that came to light during desilting work of the Mithi River. As a nodal agency in coordination with the central government and Maharashtra's Labour Department, she has facilitated insurance coverage for women workers in the unorganised domestic sector under the Janashree Insurance Scheme.

Under skill development initiatives linked to central and state schemes, Tawde has helped organise training programmes for women in tailoring, embroidery and fabric painting, while also guiding first-time entrepreneurs on government loans and subsidies. Through the Khadi and Village Industries Commission, she has enabled minority women, particularly from the Muslim community, to receive vocational training and toolkits to support self-employment and economic independence.

Her interventions in sensitive civic and social issues have often drawn public attention. Tawde led a sustained agitation in Vakola after cases of misconduct by teachers at an Urdu-medium municipal school came to light, demanding strict action under the POCSO Act. The movement resulted in the dismissal of the guilty teachers and relief for affected students and their families. She has also been credited with effectively implementing the Maharashtra government's "Shasan Aplya Dari" initiative at the ward level, helping citizens obtain income and domicile certificates, senior citizen cards and other essential documents, particularly benefiting women accessing welfare schemes and completing KYC formalities.

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During the COVID-19 pandemic, Tawde coordinated more than 50 medical health check-up camps, distributed medicines free of cost and organised food grain distribution for vulnerable families. She has also worked through NGOs to provide educational and medical assistance to students and patients from economically weaker sections, a programme that continues at the local level.

In addition, Tawde has regularly provided free guidance to new entrepreneurs under the PMEGP and CMEGP schemes, facilitating access to training, government procedures and financial support. She has personally offered free legal advice to women facing domestic violence, along with counselling and assistance for police protection, emerging as a point of support for vulnerable women in her constituency.

Tawde has taken up several civic issues involving infrastructure and public utilities. She raised concerns related to railway bridge widening projects and the impact on temples and hawkers along Ghatkopar MG Road, taking the matter up with senior state leadership, including the then Deputy Chief Minister, leading to corrective action. In the Dongargaon area of Ghatkopar, she led a strong agitation against water theft and tanker mafias after illegal tapping damaged pipelines and caused severe water shortages, resulting in swift action by the municipal administration.

One of her most high-profile interventions involved a campaign against objectionable public displays and mannequins widely viewed as degrading to women. Tawde initiated protests beginning from the Ghatkopar MG Road market and subsequently raised the issue in the BMC through a formal notice of motion.

A Mayoral Bid with Purpose

Her nomination comes at a crucial juncture, as the BJP-Shiv Sena (Shinde) alliance looks to consolidate its position following a landmark BMC election victory. With a projected majority in the municipal house, Tawde's elevation to the mayoral race reflects both the party's confidence in her leadership and its strategic emphasis on experienced local governance.

At the nomination filing centre today, Tawde expressed her commitment to turning electoral promises into tangible outcomes for Mumbai's citizens. "This is an opportunity to strengthen civic governance and take public service to every doorstep in our city," she said. "I dedicate this nomination to the people of Mumbai who have trusted me over the years."

The Road Ahead

The mayoral election in the BMC scheduled to be held on February 11 will test not just political arithmetic but also alliances and consensus building within the council. As the BJP's official candidate, Tawde is expected to garner strong support within the Mahayuti alliance, with her nomination symbolising both experience and continuity in Mumbai's civic leadership.