Mumbai:** Amid the ongoing municipal elections for 29 corporations in Maharashtra, political attention is firmly focused on Mumbai and its surrounding regions. The BJP recently stirred controversy with statements regarding mayoral positions, prompting a sharp response from Raj Thackeray’s Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS).
BJP leader and former Maharashtra State Minister of Home Affairs, **Kripashankar Singh**, ignited debate by asserting that the Mira-Bhayandar municipal corporation will ensure a mayor from the North Indian, Hindi-speaking community. Singh claimed that the BJP aims to secure sufficient councilors from this community to facilitate the election of a mayor from their ranks.
The MNS has strongly condemned this remark. Avinash Jadhav, Thane District President of MNS, stated that Singh’s comment exposes the BJP’s policy: the party seeks Marathi votes only to gain power while planning to hand over leadership positions to non-Marathi communities. Jadhav urged Marathi voters to recognize this alleged political strategy.
Kripashankar Singh, who previously belonged to the Congress party before joining the BJP, currently serves as Maharashtra BJP Vice President.
Mira-Bhayandar: A Flashpoint for Language Politics
The Mira-Bhayandar area has a history of language-related tensions. Last year, MNS workers in Mira Road sparked a nationwide controversy by assaulting a shopkeeper for not speaking Hindi. Subsequently, BJP MPNishikant Dubey criticized the Thackeray brothers over the incident.
With nominations completed and campaigning underway for the Mira-Bhayandar Municipal Corporation elections, Singh’s remarks are once again raising the issue of language and community identity. Mira-Bhayandar is part of theMumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), and Singh’s comment could escalate Marathi identity politics ahead of municipal elections across the state, including 28 other civic bodies. Both MNS and Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena are likely to make this a major political issue.
Voting Details for Mira-Bhayandar
Voting in Mira-Bhayandar, alongside Mumbai, is scheduled for 15 January 2026, with counting on 16 January 2026. In the 2017 municipal elections, BJP won 61 out of 95 seats, while the then-unified Shiv Sena secured 22 seats. Congress won 10 seats and independents 2. Since 2012, BJP has maintained control of Mira-Bhayandar Municipal Corporation, initially taking power from NCP with Geeta Jain as mayor, followed by Dimple Mehta andJyotsna Hasnale
The Mira-Bhayandar assembly seat is currently held by BJP MLANarendra Mehta. Prior to 2012, NCP controlled the corporation. Mira-Bhayandar was granted municipal corporation status in 2002 and has a significant population of North Indian residents.
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