BJP's Ritu Tawde To Be Mumbai Mayor, Shiv Sena Loses Post After 25 Years

BJP's Ritu Tawde has emerged as the Mumbai mayoral pick, marking the first time in 25 years that the post will be held by a party other than the Shiv Sena.

Tawde, a corporator from Ghatkopar, has also served as the Chairperson of the Education Committee of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).

Shiv Sena's Sanjay Shankar Ghadi, elected as corporator from Ward number 5 in the January 15 civic election, will be the Deputy Mayor. He will serve at the psot for 15 months. The Shiv Sena will split the Deputy Mayor's term to give the opportunity to four of its corporators. Ghadi was among the leaders who switched to Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde's side when the Shiv Sena in 2022, leading to the Maha Vikas Aghadi government's collapse.

BJP leader Amit Satam declared Tawade's name, while Shiv Sena leader Rahul Shewale announced Ghadi's candidature on Saturday.

In the polls to the 227-member civic body, the BJP emerged as the single largest party with 89 seats, while Shiv Sena won 29 seats. The ruling alliance, with a combined strength of 118 corporators, is past the halfway mark of 114 and is well placed to secure the mayor's post.

The Shiv Sena (UBT), which ruled the civic body for 25 years since 1997, won 65 seats, while its allies, the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) and the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar), won six and one seat, respectively.

Among other parties, the Congress won 24 seats, AIMIM eight, the NCP (Ajit Pawar faction) three, and the Samajwadi Party two. 

The high stakes elections were held after a nine-year gap, during which time a state government-appointed administrator was serving as the civic chief since March 7, 2022, following the end of the previous term.

The BMC is the country's richest civic body, with its budget for the 2025-26 pegged at Rs 74,450 crore.