BMC mayor race intensifies amid power play between rival Sena factions

Intense political activity is anticipated in the days ahead as uncertainty continues over the election of the new mayor of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). Shiv Sena (UBT) president Uddhav Thackeray has voiced optimism that his party could clinch the mayor’s post, even as Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde acted quickly to move his newly elected corporators to a five-star hotel.

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“If God is willing, we will have our mayor in the BMC,” Thackeray said. Around the same time, Shinde relocated his corporators to the Taj Lands End hotel in Bandra, a development that surprised many political watchers.

Bargaining over mayor’s post

The situation has drawn particular attention as Shinde’s Shiv Sena faction is allied with the BJP and the two together enjoy a clear majority in the civic body. However, political circles are rife with speculation that Shinde, widely regarded as a hard negotiator, is seeking the mayor’s post for his party, especially as the birth centenary year of Shiv Sena founder Balasaheb Thackeray begins on January 23.

With 89 corporators, the BJP needs the backing of Shinde’s Sena faction, which has 29 members, to control the BMC. It is believed that Shinde has been insisting on the mayor’s post for a two-and-a-half-year term. Until an agreement is reached, he is reportedly reluctant to allow his corporators to interact freely with BJP leaders or representatives of other parties, leading to their stay at the hotel near Bandra Bandstand. The Shinde camp is also cautious about possible moves by the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT), which has 65 corporators, supported by six from the MNS and one from the NCP (SP).

How the numbers stack up

Resort politics often comes into play when election outcomes create room for shifting political equations. To understand the Shinde camp’s move, it is important to look at the numerical position in the civic body. The BMC, which has 227 wards, requires 114 seats for a majority. Though the BJP has emerged with 89 seats and its ally, the Shinde-led Shiv Sena, has won 29, the ruling alliance’s combined strength stands at 118, only four seats above the majority mark. With such a slim cushion, even limited movement in numbers could make control of the civic body uncertain. The NCP led by Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, which contested the elections independently, has won three wards and is expected to extend support to its allies.

Also read | Mumbai Mayor race: Shinde’s corporators move to hotel

On the other hand, the Shiv Sena (UBT) has won 65 wards, the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena six, and the NCP faction led by Sharad Pawar one, taking their combined strength to 72. The Congress has secured 24 wards, while the AIMIM and the Samajwadi Party have won eight and two seats, respectively. If all Opposition parties were to come together, their combined tally would reach 106, still eight short of the majority mark. While such a consolidation appears unlikely given their differing political positions, the arithmetic leaves open that possibility.

Defections, negotiations in focus

Several corporators currently aligned with the Shinde faction were previously with the UBT, heightening concerns that the Thackeray camp could attempt to persuade them to shift loyalties and alter the numbers in the mayoral election. Thackeray’s comment invoking divine will was widely seen as a signal of potential behind-the-scenes efforts to win over members of the Shinde group. His remarks came amid uncertainty over whether the mayor’s post will go to the BJP or Shinde’s Shiv Sena faction. “It is my dream to install a Shiv Sena (UBT) mayor in Mumbai, and if God is willing, this dream will come true,” Thackeray told party workers.

Asked about reports about Shinde-led Sena's corporators moving to a hotel, Thackeray said the party was scared of poaching attempts by its ally BJP. “Those who had once abandoned a party can do it again,” he said, referring to the Shinde faction breaking away from the undivided Shiv Sena in June 2022. Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut said the Opposition has a sizable number of corporators. “We can topple them from the chair anytime, but we respect democracy,” he said.

At the same time, the Shinde camp is reportedly preparing a strategy to secure a significant share of positions in key BMC committees. The deputy chief minister is also said to be cautious that pushing too hard in negotiations could prompt the BJP to lure away his corporators. As a safeguard, the newly elected members have been directed to remain at the hotel until the date for the mayoral election is finalised.

Uddhav sharpens political attack

Addressing party workers at Shiv Sena Bhavan, Thackeray said the BJP had failed to eliminate Shiv Sena (UBT) at the grassroots level. “They could not buy our loyalty,” the former chief minister remarked, adding that the political contest was far from over.

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Later, speaking to the media, Thackeray described the BJP as a “party that exists on paper, not on the streets”. He alleged that if the BJP truly had mass support, it would not have needed to break other parties, use erasable ink during elections, or misuse the state machinery. “The BJP may have finished the Shiv Sena on paper, but yesterday’s results show they cannot destroy the Shiv Sena that lives on the ground,” he said.

Thackeray further said that corporators from Shiv Sena (UBT), the MNS and the NCP (SP) would bring to light alleged corruption in the BMC and ensure that land belonging to “Mumbaikars” is used only for public welfare.