BMC Elections 2026: Shinde’s Shiv Sena Demands 100 Seats, NCP Excluded from Alliance; BJP’s Strategy Unveiled

Mumbai: Ahead of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections, the ruling Mahayuti alliance of BJP and Shinde-led Shiv Sena has begun negotiations on seat-sharing. However, Ajit Pawar’s NCP has been excluded from the alliance. Shinde’s faction of Shiv Sena has reportedly staked a claim for 100 seats in the 227-seat civic body.

NCP Kept Out of Mahayuti
The BJP has refused to ally with Ajit Pawar’s NCP for the elections scheduled on 15 January 2026. Sources say BJP’s objections stem from NCP leader Nawab Malik’s alleged links with money laundering cases connected to underworld don Dawood Ibrahim. Meanwhile, BJP is in talks with the Republican Party of India (RPI), led by Union Minister Ramdas Athawale, to strengthen its alliance.

Winning Target for Mahayuti
BJP leaders, including Ashish Shelar, have indicated that the Mahayuti alliance aims to win over 150 seats in the BMC elections, securing a clear majority. The alliance has agreed that both parties will stake claims on seats they won in the previous election, while Shinde’s Shiv Sena will also assert claims on constituencies previously held by Uddhav Thackeray’s faction (UBT).

Past Election Performance Shapes Seat Claims
In the 2017 BMC elections, the undivided Shiv Sena had won 84 seats, while BJP secured 82 seats. After the elections, six corporators from the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) merged into Shiv Sena, taking Shinde’s faction tally to 90. The current seat-sharing negotiations will finalize the claims based on these historical wins.

Final Formula to Be Decided by Fadnavis and Shinde
While the first round of discussions did not yield a final seat-sharing formula, top leaders from both parties shared their perspectives. The ultimate allocation will be finalized jointly by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Shinde, sources revealed. In the initial meeting, BJP was represented by Ashish Shelar, Mumbai BJP President Amit Satam, MLA Atul Bhatkhalkar, and MLC Praveen Darekar, while Shiv Sena leaders included MLAs Ravindra Waikar, Prakash Surve, and Rahul Shewale.

The negotiations signal a tightly contested BMC election, with the Mahayuti alliance seeking a dominant position while sidelining NCP from the municipal fray.