The BJP-Shiv Sena combine swept past the halfway mark to claim the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation last week — with elections set to be held for the Mayoral post within a few days. The Shiv Sena has emerged as kingmaker for the BJP since no single party holds an absolute majority. The Eknath Shinde-led grouping remains keen on the post, at least for the first two-and-a-half years
The Mayoral post is largely symbolic but serves as a clear sign of political dominance within the fragmented political landscape. It is also subject to reservation by rotation — a step that must be finalised before political parties can even name candidates.
How does the Mumbai Mayor lottery reservation work?
The Mayor of Mumbai is selected using a rotational reservation format that is determined through a lottery. It is mandatory to provide reservation for the post of mayor to the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, OBCs and women under the Municipal Corporation Act. A rotation list has been prepared by the officials regarding the eligible categories. A public lottery will be drawn today to make the final decision. Candidates are nominated for election only after the system of reservation is finalised. The previous Mayor of Mumbai had been a woman from the General category. This time the post will be reserved for corporators fromthe SC, ST or OBC categories.
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Who will be the next Mayor of Mumbai? Key contenders
The BJP had emerged as the single largest party as votes were counted last week — winning 89 seats in the 227-seat Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation. Fellow Mahayuti ally Shiv Sena (led by Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde) secured 29 seats. The rival Sena faction led by Uddhav Thackeray won 65 seats in the BMC, while the MNS added 6 seats to the alliance tally.
Key contenders for Mumbai Mayor:
- Prabhakar Shinde – The veteran BJP corporator won Ward 106 in Mulund East for the fifth time this month. He had previously served as Leader of Opposition within the BMC. Shinde is being considered a top frontrunner due to his deep administrative expertise and strong support base in northeastern Mumbai.
- Makarand Narwekar – The brother of Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar is being considered a frontrunner due to his seniority and influence. He had won the Colaba ward.
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- Navnath Ban – The BJP state spokesperson and media chief eked out a massive win during his election debut. The former journalist won Ward 135 in Mankhurd by over 8,000 votes against Shiv Sena (UBT) in a challenging terrain. He is also considered to be close to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.
- Yogita Sunil Koli – The BJP corporator secured a landlide victory from Malad — sparking buzz about a possible nomination to the Mayoral post.
- Tejaswee Abhishek Ghosalkar – The emerging leader wields significant influence in the northern and central city wards. She secured a decisive victory from Dahisar with a whopping 16,484 votes. The seat had been under scrutiny after Ghosalkar quit the Shiv Sena Thackeray party on the eve of elections to join the rival BJP.
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