Will BJP Get Mumbai Mayor with Uddhav Thackeray’s Support? Sanjay Raut’s Statement Sparks Political Storm from Mumbai to Delhi

Mumbai: The suspense over who will become the next Mayor of Mumbai has deepened following explosive remarks by Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray faction) leader Sanjay Raut, triggering intense political chatter from Mumbai to Davos and even Delhi. With the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) election results already declared, the race for the mayoral post has entered a dramatic and uncertain phase.

The delay in electing a new mayor is being attributed to key political developments at both the national and international levels. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis is currently attending the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, while several senior BJP leaders are in Delhi for the party’s national president election. Amid this backdrop, Sanjay Raut’s unexpected remarks and his recent praise for Fadnavis have injected a fresh twist into Maharashtra’s volatile political landscape.

Raut Drops a Political Bomb

Speaking to the media in Mumbai on Monday, Sanjay Raut claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi wants a BJP mayor in Mumbai, but stopped short of explaining how that would be achieved, given that the BJP lacks a clear majority in the BMC. “Despite being in power at the Centre and having a strong Chief Minister like Devendra Fadnavis in Maharashtra, BJP corporators are being kept locked up. Why are they so scared?” Raut asked.

He further alleged that corporators from the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena faction, who emerged victorious in the BMC polls, are being housed at a luxury hotel in Bandra’s Land’s End “like prisoners.” “For others, this hotel has effectively become a jail,” he remarked sarcastically, intensifying the political heat.

Numbers Don’t Add Up for BJP

The BJP currently holds 89 seats in the BMC, falling short of the majority mark of 114. To install its mayor, the party will require the support of Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena faction, which has so far not revealed its strategy. Political observers believe that the mayoral outcome hinges on whether Shinde decides to back the BJP formally or play a more independent role.

Meanwhile, Uddhav Thackeray’s faction appears to be sharpening its attacks more on the Shinde camp than on the BJP, hinting at deeper strategic maneuvering behind the scenes.

Indirect Support from Uddhav Camp?

Sources suggest that the Uddhav Thackeray faction may be willing to extend indirect support to a BJP mayor by staying away from voting, a move that could tilt the balance in BJP’s favor. This speculation gained traction after Sanjay Raut posted a congratulatory message for