BMC Election Result Highlights: Who will be the new mayor of Mumbai? BJP or Sena

Shiv Sena (UBT) president Uddhav Thackeray on Saturday described the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections held on January 15 as a "strange" and desperate fight for his opponents.

He levelled serious accusations, claiming the ruling alliance used "every method possible," from distributing cash to the alleged kidnapping of candidates, to force withdrawals and secure a win.

Addressing a press conference after the poll debacle, Thackeray said, "This election was very strange. It felt like this was a life-and-death election for them. They opted for all methods, from cash to kidnapping our candidates; they forced candidates to withdraw their nominations." (ANI)

The Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena on Saturday shifted its newly elected corporators in Mumbai to a luxury hotel in the city amid suspense over who would become the next Mayor. Uddhav Thackeray, whose Shiv Sena (UBT) is the second single largest party, added to speculation by saying his party could have its Mayor if "Dev" (God) was willing. (PTI)

Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) on Saturday blamed the Congress for its poor performance in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections, accusing it of being complacent about the support base in the Muslim community.

While the Congress' tally declined to 24 in the 227-member BMC, its ally VBA, led by Prakash Ambedkar, drew a blank. (PTI)

The posters were displayed by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Yuva Morcha Mumbai president Tajinder Singh Tiwana, who was also elected as a corporator in the civic polls. Large hoardings praising Fadnavis' leadership appeared across the city, reflecting a celebratory mood within the BJP camp following its strong performance in the country's richest civic body. (PTI)

Addressing a public meeting in West Bengal's Malda, Prime Minister Modi attributed the victory in the BMC polls and the Thiruvananthapuram local body elections in Kerala to the young voters' trust in the BJP's 'development model'.

He said, “The results of the urban local body elections in Maharashtra were announced yesterday. The BJP has achieved a historic victory in these elections. In particular, the BJP has secured a record victory for the first time in Mumbai, in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), one of the world's largest municipal corporations, which is a significant development in Maharashtra politics.”

"Voters are important, and every political party must continue its efforts. The BJP has achieved significant success, and I congratulate the party for its performance. These civic polls were fought by the BJP under the leadership of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, and the other parties had to face defeat," said Pawar, as per a PTI report.

The BJP won 1,425 out of 2,869 seats in the Maharashtra civic polls to emerge as the single largest party in more than a dozen municipal corporations, including Mumbai and Pune, breaching the bastions of the Thackerays and Pawars.

The saffron party won 89 seats in the 227-member Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), ending the Thackeray family's three-decade-old dominance in the cash-rich civic body. (PTI)

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut said that Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde's betrayal of the Marathi manoos paved the way for the BJP to win the Mumbai civic elections and install its mayor.

The BJP has officially maintained that the next mayor of Mumbai will be from Mahayuti (the BJP-Shiv Sena combine).

Speculations are rife on whether the new mayor will be from the BJP or Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena, or if the BJP will have the upper hand in choosing a candidate.

But one thing has been made clear — the new Mumbai mayor will be from the ruling Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi and “both Hindu and Marathi,” Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had said a week before the civic polls.

1- Strong BJP-Sena Alliance
2- Leadership: Devendra Fadnavis Factor
3- Split in Opposition Votes
4- The Shifting of Narrative
5- Hindutva Pitch
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Maharashtra minister and BJP leader Nitesh Rane said the BJP and Shiv Sena's strong showing in the BMC polls amounted to a clear mandate for its Hindutva pitch during the campaign.

“Hindutva has always been our soul; one cannot differentiate our Hindutva from development,” Fadnavis said.

With the BJP's victory, the narrative of Mumbai politics has moved from the traditional identity-based ‘Marathi asmita' to a mandate for the BJP's plank of vikas' (development) and urban infrastructure.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi thanked the people of Mumbai for "blessing" the NDA in the municipal corporation elections.

"I am extremely grateful to my sisters and brothers of Mumbai for blessing the NDA," Modi said in a post on X, as the BJP-Shiv Sena combine was racing towards a majority in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections.

"Mumbai is the pride of our nation. It is the city of aspiration. It is a city that drives our growth," the prime minister said.

The Shiv Sena (UBT), contesting in alliance with the MNS, won 65 seats. The UBT-led Sena polled 7,17,736 votes, accounting for 13.13 per cent of the total votes cast.

The MNS added 6 seats to the alliance tally, with 74,946 votes and a 1.37 per cent vote share.

According to official figures released by the Election Commission and the BMC, the BJP won 89 seats, polling 11,79,273 votes, which accounts for 21.58 per cent of the total votes cast.

Among all winning candidates, the BJP's vote share stands at 45.22 per cent, making it the single largest party in the civic body. Its alliance partner, the Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde faction), secured 29 seats with 2,73,326 votes, translating into 5.00 per cent of the total vote share.

Results of 221 out of 227 wards have been declared in Mumb; BJP won 87, Shiv Sena 27, Congress 24, Shiv Sena (UBT) 64 and MNS six, according to PTI.

BJP leader Shilpa Keluskar, who won BMC polls from ward number 173, thanked voters. “I thank all the voters. I am here with such a decisive mandate due to their trust...” she said.

Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis stated that Mahayuti would reach “full majority in BMC polls”.

“Record mandate demonstrates people's desire for development and honesty,” PTI quoted him as saying.

“Hindutva has always been our soul; one cannot differentiate our Hindutva from development,” he added.

As per PTI, Maharashtra Deputy CM Eknath Shinde stated, “Shiv Sena and BJP got a complete majority in Thane and Mumbai too... People of Mumbai have chosen development. I want to thank the people of Mumbai.”

Reacting to his party’s victory declared seats, BJP leader K Annamalai on Friday said the public has shown faith in the “triple-engine” leadership and rejected “divisive propaganda”.,

In a social media post, he said the people of Mumbai had delivered a clear verdict, adding that the Mahayuti alliance’s historic win in the BMC elections was a strong endorsement of development-focused governance, as per PTI.

The former Tamil Nadu BJP president had earlier been targeted by MNS chief Raj Thackeray, who alleged that the southern leader, while campaigning in the civic polls, attempted to separate Mumbai from Maharashtra by projecting it as an international city. In a mocking remark, Thackeray had dubbed Annamalai as "Rasmalai".

BJP leads in 88 seats as counting of votes underway, as per HT.

According to ANI, Mumbai BJP president Ameet Satam stated, "Those who were trying to spread rumours, create divisions on the basis of languages and regions have been given a reply by Mumbaikars through their votes."

He also says, "It will be a Mahayuti Mayor. Couting still continues. We are confident that going by the trends so far, we will easily cross the magic figure of 114 and BMC is going to have a Mahayuti Mayor. The 'saffron' flag of Hindutva will fly atop the BMC."

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Friday called State BJP chief Ravindra Chavan to congratulate him, as the BJP–Shiv Sena Mahayuti is emerging victorious.

As per ANI, Congress President Harshwardhan Vasantrao Sapkal said, "Congress would definitely have received better results if the Election Commission had been fair and if money power had not been used in the election... Our party workers did hard work on the ground... For us, the ideology is foremost. What we see in the BMC election is the result of fixing..."

Rekha Yadav of Shiv Sena wins BMC election, defeating Congress rival Sheetal Mhatre by 2,000 votes, according to PTI.

In a significant blow to gangster-turned-politician Arun Gawli, both his daughters were defeated in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections from their respective wards in south Mumbai on Friday, reported PTI.

Gawli’s sister-in-law, Vandana Pradeep Gawli, who contested on a Shiv Sena ticket from ward 198, also lost to Aboli Gopal Khadye of the rival Shiv Sena (UBT).

Authorities statedthat Geeta Gawli, seeking a fourth term from ward 212 in the Byculla-Agipada area, and Yogita Gawli, making her electoral debut from ward 207 in Byculla-Chinchpokli, were both defeated. Geeta lost to Samajwadi Party candidate Amrin Shezad Abrahani, while Yogita was beaten by BJP’s Rohidas Lokhande.

BMC Election Result LIVE: Congress is leading or has secured victory in 22 seats so far, while Ajit Pawar’s NCP has won or is ahead in two seats. Sharad Pawar’s NCP faction has one seat, and other parties are leading or have won in nine seats, reported HT.

In the wake of Mahayuti’s significant gains in the Mumbai BMC elections, Shiv Sena leader Milind Deora praised the victory over the Thackerays, as per PTI.

Taking to X, the Sena MP said the BMC outcome has "put an end to the soap opera of Mumbai politics."

He wrote, "The BMC results have put an end to the soap opera of #Mumbai politics, proving the city prefers progress & accountability over melodrama & masala."

Deora added, "Eknath Shinde ji’s Shiv Sena is the true #ShivSena & family drama failed to steal the spotlight. The golden era for India’s commercial & cultural hub is just beginning."

What began as a sour insult turned into a sweet victory for BJP candidates campaigned for by party leader K Annamalai in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections, as they won their wards on Friday, giving a fitting response to MNS chief Raj Thackeray’s ‘rasmalai’ dig at the Tamil Nadu politician, according to PTI.

BJP’s Tejinder Singh Tiwana and Yogesh Varma emerged victorious from wards 47 and 35, respectively, in Malad West, while Dakshata Kavthankar won from ward 19 in Charkop, according to BMC results.

Tiwana, president of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha’s Mumbai unit, shared the organisation’s social media post featuring a picture of ‘rasmalai’, saying, "Results win in Mumbai, noise doesn't. Thank you, Mumbai."

Amid trends indicating a strong showing by the BJP–Shiv Sena alliance in the Mumbai civic elections, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Friday stated that the full picture will only become clear by midnight, once all votes are counted, according to PTI.

Counting is currently underway for Mumbai and 28 other civic bodies in Maharashtra, which went to the polls the previous day.

Raut acknowledged that the BJP may have fared well in other parts of Maharashtra, but he maintained that as counting continues until midnight, the current trends suggesting a loss for the Shiv Sena (UBT)–MNS alliance are likely to change.

So far, results have been declared for 121 seats, with the BJP winning 47 seats, followed by Shiv Sena with 14 and Shiv Sena (UBT) with 30. The Congress has secured 16 seats in the declared results, according to HT.

According to the latest trends at 6 pm, the BJP–Shiv Sena saffron alliance was ahead in 124 of the 227 seats in the BMC elections, leaving the Thackeray brothers’ camp trailing at 71 seats. The BJP was poised to become the largest party in India’s richest municipality with 94 seats, while its ally Shiv Sena led in 30, reported ANI.

Among other parties, Shiv Sena (UBT) was ahead in 62 seats, the MNS in nine, Congress in 15, and NCP (SP) in one.

Former Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation mayor and Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Vishakha Raut was ahead in ward number 191 with 13,236 votes, narrowly surpassing Shinde faction’s Shiv Sena candidate Priya Sarvankar, who received 13,039 votes, according to HT.

Following the tight margin, Sarvankar has requested a recount.

Shilpa Keluskar, victorious in the BMC elections from ward number 173, told the media, "I thank all the voters. I am here with such a decisive mandate due to their trust..."

At the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) press conference on Friday, BJP MP Sudhanshu Trivedi lauded the performance of the party and its allies in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) election, as reported early trends show the BJP emerging as the single largest party with leads in 98 seats. He also called the win, "a befitting answer" to the opposition.

Calling the victory historic, Trivedi thanked the people of Maharashtra for their support to the BJP and Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena alliance.

"Today, in the Maharashtra Municipal Corporation elections, the BJP and our coalition partners achieved a significant victory. This demonstrates that under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership, the BJP and NDA are increasingly gaining support... We thank the people of Maharashtra and all supporters on behalf of the BJP for this success in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), which is one of the largest municipal bodies not only in India but possibly in Asia... ," Trivedi said.

According to the latest trends at 5 pm, the BJP–Shiv Sena saffron alliance was ahead in 130 of the 227 seats in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections, comfortably outpacing the Thackeray brothers’ camp, which was leading in 71 seats. The BJP was set to emerge as the single largest party in India’s richest civic body with 93 seats, while its ally Shiv Sena was ahead in 27, according to ANI.

Among the opposition, Shiv Sena (UBT) was leading in 62 seats, the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) in nine, the Congress in 14, and the NCP (SP) in one seat.

In what is being seen as a significant erosion of its urban support, the Congress on Friday hit a new low in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections as it may secure only around 15 of the 227 seats, according to PTI.

The party contested 152 seats in polls to the country’s richest civic body, while the remaining constituencies were left to its allies—the Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA), Rashtriya Samaj Paksha and the Republican Party of India (Gavai faction).

During the previous BMC elections in 2017, the Congress had won 31 seats.

Shiv Sena (UBT) candidate TM Jagdish has been declared elected from ward number 185, according to HT.

As per ANI, Congress President Harshwardhan Vasantrao Sapkal said, "Congress would definitely have received better results if the Election Commission had been fair and if money power had not been used in the election... Our party workers did hard work on the ground... For us, the ideology is foremost. What we see in the BMC election is the result of fixing..."

Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut cautioned against drawing conclusions before the complete election results are declared, noting that vote counting in Mumbai is still in progress and the final outcome is expected by midnight. He dismissed the circulating numbers as misleading, pointing out that counting has yet to begin in nearly 100 wards, including key areas such as Bhandup–Vikhroli, Dadar–Parel and Bandra, according to HT.

“It is premature to comment before the full results are out. Counting in Mumbai is still underway and final results are expected by midnight. The figures being circulated are false, as counting has not yet begun in around 100 wards, including strongholds like Bhandup–Vikhroli, Dadar–Parel, and Bandra,” he said.

BJP candidate Bhaskar Shetty emerged victorious in Dharavi’s ward number 188, defeating AIMIM’s Ali Munawar Sayyed by a slim margin of 478 votes after a recount of ballots, according to HT.

Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar on Friday expressed gratitude to Mumbai residents for placing their confidence in the BJP-led alliance in the civic body polls, saying the verdict underlines citizens’ aspirations for the city’s progress, according to ANI.

The Bharatiya Janata Party-Shiv Sena alliance is leading well past the majority mark of 114 in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections, according to the latest trends by the state election commission.

Reacting to the trends, Narwekar said the people of Mumbai had endorsed the alliance’s development-focused agenda, highlighting major infrastructure initiatives undertaken in the city. He noted that projects such as the Metro Rail Network, Coastal Road and Trans Harbour Link played a key role in earning public trust.

"First of all, I want to thank the people of Mumbai and express my gratitude for reposing faith in the BJP alliance... This mandate has been given for the development of Mumbai. We have won the trust of Mumbai's people by dedicating to them important projects like the Metro Rail Network, Coastal Road, and Trans Harbour Link, and this mandate shows the desire of Mumbai's people for the city's development," Narwekar said.

BJP leader Shilpa Keluskar, who won BMC polls from ward number 173, thanked voters. “I thank all the voters. I am here with such a decisive mandate due to their trust...” she said

BMC Election Result LIVE: As per the latest official data, the BJP has won in 56 wards, while the Shiv Sena emerged victorious in 22 wards. Meanwhile, Shiv Sena (UBT) won in 44 wards.

BMC Election Result LIVE: Amid EVM-related issues surrounding the BMC election results, another machine reportedly failed to display voting data in Ward 189. In view of the technical discrepancy, the State Election Commission has decided to reserve and withhold the result until further verification is completed.