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Mumbai BMC Polls: Shiv Sena Split Sparks Direct Fights on 166 Seats

The battle for Mumbai's civic body is crystallizing into direct contests between major factions, with the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) facing off against the Eknath Shinde group on 69 seats and against the BJP on 97 others. This fragmentation, stemming from the Shiv Sena split, has dramatically reshaped the political landscape of the BMC, which the Thackeray-led party has controlled for 25 years. Adding to the complexity, the MNS is in a direct fight with the Shinde faction on 18 seats, while controversies over unopposed wins in other corporations are fueling political rhetoric. With over 1,700 candidates vying for 227 seats, the election is poised to be a fiercely competitive and defining political moment for Maharashtra.

Key Points: BMC Elections: Direct Fights Between Sena Factions, BJP

  • Direct Uddhav vs Shinde fights on 69 seats
  • Thackeray faction vs BJP on 97 seats
  • MNS vs Shinde group on 18 seats
  • BMC is Maharashtra's largest civic body
3 min read

BMC polls: Close fight between Shiv Sena UBT, Shinde faction on 69 seats, BJP and Thackeray camp on 97 seats

Direct contests define BMC polls: Uddhav vs Shinde on 69 seats, Thackeray camp vs BJP on 97. Analysis of the high-stakes battle for Mumbai.

"The current election is widely expected to be a closely fought contest. - Report"

Mumbai, Jan 3

The high-voltage battle for the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, which has drawn attention not only from Maharashtra but across the country, has now taken a clear shape with direct contests emerging among major political formations.

A straight fight between Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) and the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena will take place on 69 seats. At the same time, the BJP and the Thackeray faction will be locked in a direct contest on 97 seats, while the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) and the Shinde faction will face each other on 18 seats. With multiple direct contests, the BMC elections are set to be a fiercely competitive affair.

For the 227-member BMC, the Shiv Sena (UBT) is contesting 163 seats, the BJP 137 seats, the Shinde faction 90 seats, the MNS 53 seats, the NCP (Sharad Pawar faction) 11 seats, while the Congress is contesting between 143 and 150 seats. The Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi is contesting 46 seats.

Although elections are scheduled to be held for 29 municipal corporations across Maharashtra, the focus remains firmly on the BMC, which is the biggest civic body in the state with 227 seats and as many as 1,700 candidates in the fray.

While the Thackeray-led Shiv Sena has held power in Mumbai for the past 25 years, the split within the party, the growing strength of the BJP and the increasing population of Mumbai have significantly altered the political landscape. The current election is widely expected to be a closely fought contest.

Following the completion of the nomination withdrawal process on Friday, the final contours of the contests have emerged. According to State Election Commission data, Shiv Sena (UBT) is engaged in a direct face-off with the Shinde faction on 69 seats and with the BJP on 97 seats.

In addition, the MNS and the Shinde faction are locked in one-to-one contests on 18 seats, while the NCP (Sharad Pawar faction) is facing the BJP and the Shinde faction on five seats each.

In several civic bodies, including Thane and Kalyan-Dombivli, candidates from the BJP and the Shinde-led Shiv Sena have been elected unopposed, triggering political debate. MNS chief Raj Thackeray is reportedly planning to raise the issue and "expose" the circumstances surrounding these unopposed victories during his forthcoming rallies.

MNS leaders are also said to have handed over call recordings, videos and other materials related to the unopposed wins to Raj Thackeray. As a result, the MNS has adopted an aggressive posture over the issue in the ongoing municipal elections.

(Sanjay Jog can be contacted on sanjay.j@ians.in)

- IANS

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Reader Comments

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Priya S
As a Mumbai resident, I just want a corporation that works! The BMC budget is bigger than some states, yet we face flooding every monsoon. 🚿 Whether it's UBT, Shinde, or BJP, they need to tell us their concrete plans for infrastructure and waste management. Enough with the seat-sharing analysis!
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Aman W
The direct contests on so many seats mean there's no room for error. This could be good for democracy – forces candidates to actually work for votes instead of relying on alliances. But the unopposed wins in Thane raise serious questions. Raj Thackeray is right to highlight this.
S
Sarah B
Watching from abroad, it's fascinating to see such a complex multi-cornered fight in a city's municipal election. The data on direct contests (69, 97, 18 seats) shows how fragmented the landscape is. Hope the outcome brings stability to Mumbai's administration.
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Karthik V
Respectfully, I feel the media is focusing too much on the "fight" and "contests". What about the candidates' qualifications? How many have a background in urban planning or public service? We need capable corporators, not just party loyalists. The article mentions 1700 candidates – tell us more about them.
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Meera T
After 25 years of one-party rule, a tough competition might be exactly what Mumbai needs. Maybe now all parties will offer better promises and actually deliver. My vote will go to whoever has the most practical solution for reducing traffic congestion and improving public transport. 🚆

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