Mumbai, Jan 19
As the dust settles on the 2026 Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation elections, the political arena in Maharashtra is buzzing with anticipation over one crucial question -- who will be the next Mayor of Mumbai? While the Bharatiya Janata Party emerged as the single-largest party, the suspense continues as political leaders await the official reservation lottery, which could change the entire game.
The Urban Development Ministry has confirmed that the mayoral post reservation lottery for all 29 municipal corporations, including Mumbai, will be held on January 22, 2026, at 11 a.m. at Mantralaya in Mumbai.
This lottery will determine which category (Open, OBC, SC, ST or women) the Mayor's post will be reserved for. Until this is decided, the race remains wide open.
Political analysts have pointed out a unique advantage for Uddhav Thackeray's Shiv Sena (UBT).
Before the elections, two specific wards were reserved for the Scheduled Tribes (ST) category -- Ward 53, which was won by Jitendra Valvi (Sena UBT), who defeated Shinde Sena's Ashok Khandve, and Ward 121, which Priyadarshani Thackeray (Sena UBT) won, defeating Shinde Sena's Pratima Khopde.
If the lottery on January 22 reserves the Mayor's post for the ST category, the Thackeray faction will have the only eligible candidates, potentially securing the mayorship despite having fewer total seats.
As the results for the BMC polls were declared on January 16, the BJP won 89 seats, Shiv Sena (UBT) 65, the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena 29, Congress 24, AIMIM 8, MNS 6, NCP (Ajit Pawar) 3, Samajwadi Party 2 and NCP-SP 1.
The tension has led to a war of words between top leaders.
Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray expressed hope, stating: "If it is God's will, the Mayor will be ours."
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who is currently in Davos to attend the World Economic Forum Summit, responded to Thackeray's comment by quipping: "By God's will, I don't mean myself, but God has already decided -- the Mayor will be from the Mahayuti."
Deputy Chief Minister and Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde, taking no chances, moved his 29 corporators to a luxury hotel to prevent "poaching" or "horse-trading" ahead of the crucial vote.
He told party corporators that the Mahayuti will hold the mayoral post. With the Mahayuti (BJP + Shinde Sena) holding a combined 118 seats (crossing the 114 majority mark), the alliance is the favourite to rule.
However, if the reservation lottery favours the ST category, the city could see a dramatic twist in the mayoral race.
The BJP has made a significant impact in the recently concluded polls. The party maintained a winning streak in 19 of the 29 municipal corporations, including Mumbai.
In Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad, the BJP secured power, dealing a blow to the NCP (Ajit Pawar) faction. The party retained its stronghold in Nagpur.
In Sambhajinagar, the BJP managed to seize power, challenging the dominance of the Thackeray faction.
- IANS
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