Mumbai is witnessing a significant shift in its political landscape as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is set to reclaim the mayor's office after 44 years. Ritu Tawde, a seasoned corporator, is poised to be elected unopposed as the Mayor of Mumbai on February 11, marking the end of the Thackeray era in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). This development follows the BMC elections held on January 15, 2026.
The Mahayuti alliance, spearheaded by the BJP, has officially declared Ritu Tawde as their candidate for the mayoral position. Complementing this, Sanjay Shankar Ghadi of the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena has been nominated for the role of Deputy Mayor. Ghadi, a corporator from Ward number 5, will serve for 15 months, with the Shiv Sena planning to split the Deputy Mayor's term to allow four of its corporators to hold the position.
Ritu Tawde's impending election marks a historic moment, as she will be only the second BJP mayor of Mumbai, following Prabhakar Pai who held the office from 1982 to 1983. For the past 25 years, the mayor's post has been held by the Shiv Sena. The BJP's rise to power in the BMC signifies a major change in the city's civic administration.
Ameet Satam, the Mumbai BJP president, announced Tawde's nomination. Rahul Shewale, a Shiv Sena leader, announced Ghadi's candidacy. The BJP emerged as the single largest party in the 227-member civic body, securing 89 seats, while the Shiv Sena won 29 seats. With a combined strength of 118 corporators, the ruling alliance comfortably exceeds the halfway mark of 114, positioning them strongly to secure the mayoral post.
Ritu Tawde is a three-time corporator from Ghatkopar, representing Ward 132 in the recent election. She previously represented Ward No. 121 in 2012 and Ward No. 127 in 2017. According to the Association of Democratic Reform (ADR), Tawde pursued SY BCom from NG Acharya College, Chembur, Mumbai in 1995-96. She is known for her deep understanding of civic issues and has previously served as the chairperson of the BMC's Education Committee. Tawde is recognized within the BJP as a senior corporator and an assertive Marathi face. She joined the BJP in 2012 after leaving the Congress.
The Shiv Sena (UBT), which had governed the civic body for 25 years since 1997, secured 65 seats in the recent elections. Their allies, the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) and the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar), won six and one seats, respectively. Other parties' representation includes the Congress with 24 seats, AIMIM with eight, the NCP (Ajit Pawar faction) with three, and the Samajwadi Party with two, in addition to two independent candidates.
The BMC, recognized as the country's wealthiest civic body, has a budget of ₹74,450 crore for the fiscal year 2025-26, surpassing the budgets of some smaller states. The previous term of the BMC ended on March 7, 2022, after which the BMC commissioner served as the administrator appointed by the state government.
Tawde's nomination was finalized at a meeting of BJP corporators at the BMC headquarters. The BJP had previously indicated that their mayoral candidate would be a Marathi-speaking woman, aligning with the reservation category designated for this term. The BJP has promised a corruption-free administration under Tawde's leadership.