Mumbai BJP chief Ameet Satam has expressed confidence that the Mahayuti alliance will win more than 150 seats in the upcoming Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections. The Mahayuti alliance consists of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, the Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), and the RPI (Athawale group).
Satam's statement comes amidst preparations for the BMC elections, which have been delayed since 2022. The elections are expected to be held in three phases after Diwali, with the BMC elections likely taking place in January 2026. The Supreme Court initially directed the Maharashtra government and the State Election Commission to complete local body elections by November 2025 but later extended the deadline to January 31, 2026.
In the 2017 BMC elections, the Shiv Sena won 84 seats, followed by the BJP with 82 seats. The Congress secured 31 seats, the NCP 9, the MNS 7, and independent candidates won 14. The upcoming elections will be crucial for all parties involved. The BMC will have 227 wards in the upcoming elections.
Satam has launched a two-month-long campaign across the city where workers will visit households with a form, requesting citizens to share their concerns, with the collected data shaping the party's civic agenda. The BJP is aiming to contest a majority of seats in the BMC polls.
A recent Vote Vibe survey indicates that the BJP currently leads with 31% support, particularly among Mumbai's middle-class and business communities. The Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) has 23.9% support despite the party split. The Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) stands at 11.2%, surpassing the Congress.
Other key points include:
