Mumbai, Maharashtra: After the BJP-Shiv Sena alliance secured victory in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections, the question of who will occupy the mayor’s chair remains unresolved. The selection process will begin with a lottery to determine the category—whether the post will be reserved for SC/ST, OBC, or open, and whether it will be male or female. Once the category is confirmed, the winning alliance will have seven days to finalize and notify the BMC of the new mayor.
Lottery Scheduled for 22 January
The BJP and Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) are both closely monitoring the process, while Shiv Sena (UBT) and other parties also have stakes in the mayoral seat. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis is currently attending the World Economic Forum in Davos and is expected to return on 24 January, after which fresh negotiations within the alliance will take place. Sources indicate that the lottery will be conducted on 22 January, determining the category for the mayoral post. Following the lottery, the winning alliance must complete the election within five to six days, likely by 29–31 January.
BMC Election Results Overview
In the recent BMC elections, the BJP emerged as the largest party with 89 seats, followed by Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) with 29 seats, Shiv Sena (UBT) with 65 seats, and MNS with 6 seats. Other parties include AIMIM (8 seats), NCP (3), SP (2), and NCP-SP alliance (1).
During the elections, the mayoral post was also a key issue. Shiv Sena (UBT) accused the BJP of attempting to appoint a non-Marathi mayor, prompting Chief Minister Fadnavis to clarify that the mayor will be both Marathi and Hindu.
The Final Decision
While the lottery will determine the post’s category, the final choice of mayor will rest with BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis and Shiv Sena’s Eknath Shinde. The upcoming days are expected to see strategic discussions and negotiations within the alliance to decide Mumbai’s next first citizen.
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